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Post by Hervard on Jan 15, 2021 14:20:35 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 16, 2021
This week's presentation - January 17, 1976
Droppers: PART TIME LOVE – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (32) - This definitely sounds like something Bread would record (as David Gates wrote it). This one was a great song - one of Knight's best songs - definitely underrated, as it didn't get any higher than #22. NIGHTS ON BROADWAY – THE BEE GEES (31) - This one didn't have as much of a disco beat as "Jive Talkin'". Of those two songs, I preferred this one (as "Jive Talkin'" was way overplayed). Still, I prefer many other songs from them. SKY HIGH - JIGSAW (30) - Often thought of as a one-hit wonder, they did actually have another minor Top 40 hit in 1976 called "Love Fire". I preferred this one, though - one of my favorite hits from 1975!
40: FANNY (BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE) - THE BEE GEES (debut) - They replaced themselves this week - as "Nights On Broadway" fell off the survey, their follow-up debuted here. This song and their hit from later that year, "Love So Right" sounded a lot alike. I preferred the latter, but this was a good one as well. 39: FLY ROBIN FLY - SILVER CONVENTION (29) - To this day, I still haven't learned all the lyrics to this song Of their two hits, I slightly preferred this one. It was a good song! 38: ALL BY MYSELF - ERIC CARMEN (debut) - Eric started out studying classical music, then switched to rock, but he used both elements in this song, as the bridge used a piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It was a good song - my second favorite song from him behind "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again", which charted later on in the year. EXTRA: ME AND BOBBY McGEE - JANIS JOPLIN - This song was used as the first Optional Extra. I was never a big Janis Joplin fan, however; her voice was so grating. I guess she's one of those artists you either love or hate. Written by Kris Kristofferson, this song, though most associated with Joplin, was covered many times. My favorite of those was the Gordon Lightfoot rendition, from his If You Could Read My Mind album. 37: GOLDEN YEARS - DAVID BOWIE (39) - Another artist I was never much for, except for a few of his hits in the 1980s. This one wasn't bad, however. 36: SLOW RIDE - FOGHAT (40) - As I've said many times before, this is a classic rock staple! I sort of remember this one from its chart run, though it wasn't really one of my favorites. 35: LET'S LIVE TOGETHER - ROAD APPLES (35) - LOL, I love the band name! Anyway, this was a pretty good song. I’ve heard it many times on the Barry Scott’s Lost 45's CD that I have. 34: FOR THE LOVE OF YOU - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (26) - This song is a decent slow jam, but I prefer Jordan Hill's hit of the same name, which charted on the AC charts circa 1996 and is one of the songs on my YouTube playlist entitled "Favorite Songs". 33: HURRICANE - BOB DYLAN (33) - I was never a huge Bob Dylan fan at all, but this song was actually pretty good - his voice wasn't quite as grating on this song as it is on others. 32: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES (debut) - Odd that this song would come up, as I'm checking out the replies to a humorous Facebook post concerning two songs by the Eagles (this and "Take It Easy"). Anyway, this was the newest hit from their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album. It was also my favorite from that album - a great song indeed! 31: LET'S DO IT AGAIN - THE STAPLE SINGERS (19) - Your typical mid-70s slow jam. It was pretty good, but nothing exceptional. This was one of two songs that were gypped out of their week at #1 on AT40 due to the regular shows being pre-empted by the year-ender. ("Saturday Night" was the other). 30: LET IT SHINE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (34) - This was back when Olivia was still in her country/pop mode. I preferred her later hits, when she'd evolved to full-blown pop, but this one wasn't too bad. 29: PALOMA BLANCA - GEORGE BAKER SELECTION (37) - Hey, wow - another song on the aforementioned Lost 45s CD. I guess it goes without saying that I've heard this song quite a few times as well. It was a great song, IMO - much better than Buckwheat's version "Oona Panoona Banka". 28: SQUEEZE BOX - THE WHO (36) - This was a comeback hit for them, as they hadn't charted for three years. This was one of their best songs ever, IMO. 27: THEME FROM "S.W.A.T." - RHYTHM HERITAGE (38) - 1976 was definitely the year for TV show themes on the chart, and this was indeed one of the biggest, topping the chart the following week. A great song it was! 26: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT - HELEN REDDY (28) - This was the first of two versions of this song that hit the Top 20 during the 70s. Barry Manilow's cover from three years later would hit the Top Ten. I preferred that one, though this one wasn't bad either - not quite as cheesy as many other Helen Reddy songs. 25: BABYFACE - THE WING & A PRAYER FIFE & DRUM CORPS (27) - This one had charted in some form or other for the past five decades in addition to this one. It was a good song. 24: THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (8) - This song seemed to have two waves of popularity - it had hit #1 in November and dropped out, only to make a surprising return to #1 a month later. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1975 #1. 23: WAKE UP EVERYBODY - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (25) - The last of four songs that they charted with in the 1970s. It was a pretty good song. 22: WINNERS AND LOSERS - HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS (24) - They hit #1 back in August with "Fallin' In Love" and were trying for a second #1. Unfortunately, this song only got as high as #21 and was their final Top 40 hit. I thought it was a good song. 21: LOVE HURTS - NAZARETH (23) - One of the best power ballads ever! Too bad it was their only Top 40 hit. 20: OVER MY HEAD - FLEETWOOD MAC (21) - This legendary band had been around for many years, yet this was their first Top 40 hit. They'd more than make up for lost time over the next few years, though, with many hit singles from successive albums. Most of the songs seemed to feature Christine McVie on vocals, including this song, which was a good one, IMO. 19: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO - NEIL SEDAKA (22) - The ballad version of this sixties classic. Of the two, I prefer this one. 18: LOVE MACHINE (PART #1) - THE MIRACLES (20) - This song was on its way to becoming the slowest rising #1 song - up to that point, that is - it has since been beaten by several other songs. I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from them. 17: SATURDAY NIGHT - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (5) - Meh, not a huge fan of this song, or them in general (though they did have a few songs that I did like). 16: EVIL WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (18) - Is it me, or is there an overabundance of songs moving up two spots on this week's chart? Well, anyway, this was the second Top 40 hit for this English band (and like the first, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", it made the Top Ten). It was a good song, but I prefer a few others from them, including said first Top 40 hit. 15: 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER - PAUL SIMON (17) - After making a huge jump the week before, it moves up more modestly this week with yet another two-spot jump. This was Simon's first #1 hit after parting ways with Art Garfunkel (who, sadly, never hit #1 on his own). I liked this song, but preferred his next hit, the title track from his album Still Crazy After All These Years. 14: FLY AWAY - JOHN DENVER (16) - As I've said many times before, I heard most of John Denver's songs when I was real little, since my Mom used to play his albums all the time, so I remember them quite well, including this one, which I really liked. What I never knew (until many years later) was that Olivia Newton-John sang back-up on this song. 13: ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT - KISS (15) - They hit the Top 40 for the first time with the live version of a song that had briefly charted on the Hot 100 the previous spring. This song was one of their best rockers, IMO. Poison did a good remake of this song back in 1987. 12: SING A SONG - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (13) - They had a pretty good year in 1975, with two Top 20 hits, including a #1, and this third song that would go on to hit #5 a few weeks later. It was not bad, but I preferred many other songs from them. 11: COUNTRY BOY (YOU GOT YOUR FEET IN L.A.) - GLEN CAMPBELL (12) - The follow-up to Campbell's biggest hit ever, "Rhinestone Cowboy". This song, which sounds a little like that one, just narrowly missed the Top Ten this week. I like these two songs about the same. EXTRA: EVE OF DESTRUCTION - BARRY McGUIRE - This song was used as the final Optional Extra. I don't like this song at all, due to the depressing subject matter. 10: WALK AWAY FROM LOVE - DAVID RUFFIN (11) - Of course, we all know Ruffin was the lead singer of the Temptations in the mid to late 1960s. He started a solo career in 1969 and had two Top Tens, both peaking at #9. This was the second of those songs and I thought it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred Ruffin's hits with the Temptations. 9: TIMES OF YOUR LIFE - PAUL ANKA (10) - Well, now the songs seem to be moving up one spot, as this is the fourth in a row. This song is a tad on the cheesy side, but it's still not bad - very mellow and relaxing. 8: YOU SEXY THING - HOT CHOCOLATE (14) - Meh, not a big fan of this song at all (but I do realize a lot of people were, as this was their biggest hit - it just never did anything for me, that's all). 7: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY - DONNA SUMMER (9) - I'm sorry, but a prolonged orgasm is not a song. 6: I LOVE MUSIC - THE O'JAYS (7) - This song wasn't bad, but rather repetitive. I preferred a few other songs by them, such as "Love Train" and "Use Ta Be My Girl". 5: FOX ON THE RUN - SWEET (6) - Casey jinxed this song when he talked about how it had been moving up one spot at a time for the past six weeks, as the song would fall back to #18 the following week. Sweet's previous song, "Ballroom Blitz" was way too loud and repetitive for my liking, but this song was actually pretty good. 4: LOVE ROLLER COASTER - OHIO PLAYERS (4) - This, however, was a reverse jinx, as Casey mentioned that this song was stuck at #4 for a fourth week. It would resume its climb the following week and hit #1 the week after that. I wasn't generally a fan of the Ohio Players, but this song wasn't too bad. One I remember from back in the day. 3: CONVOY - C.W. McCALL (1) - Great truckin' song here! This one wasted no time hitting the top, but was only able to hold on for a single week, as there was somewhat of a convoy in the Top Five of songs waiting to hit the top. 2: THEME FROM "MAHOGANY" - DIANA ROSS (3) - There was a revolving door of #1 hits in late 1975/early 1976, and this song was part of it - would hit #1 the following week. Anyway, this was one of my favorite songs from Diana Ross - by far my favorite of her 1976 #1's. 1: I WRITE THE SONGS - BARRY MANILOW (2) - This song is ironically titled, as, while Manilow did write most of his songs, this was not one of them (of course, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys was the author of this song). Anyway, it's true that I liked most of his ballads, but this one was one of my least favorite of those, most likely due to overplay.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 15, 2021 14:20:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 16, 2021
This week's presentation - January 21, 1984
Droppers: SYNCHRONICITY II - THE POLICE (37) - This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it didn't hit the Top Ten like the other singles from Synchronicity. CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE - QUIET RIOT (33) - I'm not generally a huge heavy metal fan, but I actually really loved this song - definitely my favorite Quiet Riot song! CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND - CULTURE CLUB (27) - Note that the opening lyrics to both this and their current hit, "Karma Chameleon" are nearly identical. I think it goes without saying that this is my favorite of the two songs on the chart, though that's not saying much, as this isn't my favorite song from them either. MAJOR TOM (COMING HOME) - PETER SCHILLING (19) - Wow, people sure got sick of this song quickly! This was a one-hit wonder from Germany here, with a song that peaked at #14 a few weeks prior. I liked this song - sounded a little like the Moody Blues, especially at the end. LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR (15) - Wow! Two drops from inside the Top 20? I thought this was 1984, not 1982! A many Top 40 hits as Benatar had up to this point, this was only her second Top Ten hit. It was not bad, but I prefer many others from her.
40: UPTOWN GIRL – BILLY JOEL (14) - Wow, there was almost a third song dropping out of the countdown from the Top 20 - that definitely would have screamed 1982! This was Billy Joel's salute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was a good song (I did prefer it over "Tell Her About It"), but I preferred the title track to An Innocent Man, coming up later in the countdown. 39: IN THE MOOD – ROBERT PLANT (39) - The follow-up to his first solo Top 40 "Big Log", this song was not a remake of the old Glenn Miller classic. Not bad, but I generally prefer Plant with Led Zeppelin. 38: SEND ME AN ANGEL – REAL LIFE (40) - This song had two chart runs - the first one in 1984 and in a slightly new mix in 1989. I associate this song more with 1989 than 1984, as during the latter year, I never heard the song outside of countdown shows, but heard it as part of regular programming quite a lot in the former. A great song! 37: REMEMBER THE NIGHTS – THE MOTELS (38) - Now this one was way underrated. It is my favorite song from the band and, naturally, it was the lowest peaker, climbing only one spot higher. 36: NOBODY TOLD ME – JOHN LENNON (debut) - We're finally up to the first debut song. This was Lennon's third posthumous hit (and the fourth to peak after his death). I definitely prefer the Double Fantasy singles; this one was kind of just there. 35: NIGHTBIRD – STEVIE NICKS (debut) - This song is pretty obscure, but I heard it quite a lot back in 1984, since U93 started playing it pretty early on, and gave it moderate airplay for about two months, so I remember it well. 34: JUMP – VAN HALEN (debut) - This was their very first Top Ten hit (second on R&R, as their first Top 40 hit, "Dance The Night Away" peaked at #10 there), and it would be their biggest hit ever, spending five weeks on top. The song was OK, but it sounded more like a commercial or music for a sporting event - definitely not worthy of being such a big hit - and I'll never forgive it for beating out "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins as R&R's #1 song of 1984. I generally preferred the Van Hagar era, which kicked off two years later. 33: 99 LUFTBALLONS - NENA (debut) - - This song, of course, had three different versions that were played on AT40. The original German version, which was usually the one that they went with (like this week), the English version, which was played once or twice, and the "hybrid" version (alternating between the two languages throughout the song). I know that they played that one on at least one weekly show, as well as the year-ender. Since I never took German in high school, I preferred the English version, but for the most part, I like all three of them. 32: THE SIGN OF FIRE – THE FIXX (32) - Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius? But seriously, this song wasn't bad - I liked it better than the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another", but it wasn't quite as good as "Saved By Zero". 31: WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER – THE POLICE (debut) - Of the four singles from Synchronicity, this just might be my favorite, but I still prefer others from both the band and Sting solo. 30: STAY WITH ME TONIGHT – JEFFREY OSBORNE (30) - He seemed to have more chart success as a solo artist than with LTD (although he never hit the Top Ten, like his band did with "Back In Love Again"). Of his singles, this was one of my least favorites, but I still like it. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NEW MOON ON MONDAY - DURAN DURAN - I've mentioned before that I don't like most of their 1984 songs. This one, however, was an exception, as it was one of my favorite songs from them 29: GOLD – SPANDAU BALLET (29) - Well, they weren't a one-hit wonder, but they could be called a "one big hit wonder", since their debut hit "True" was a Top Five hit, but the follow-ups didn't come anywhere close to matching that success. This song barely touched the Top 30, and their next hit, "Only When You Leave" petered out at #34. Of their three hits, I preferred their biggest one. This was a pretty decent song, though. 28: SO BAD – PAUL McCARTNEY (31) - The second and final Top 40 hit from McCartney's Pipes Of Peace album, though its chart performance did not measure up to the first hit, which is coming up a little later on. I thought this song was pretty good, but I'm not sure why he chose to sing this one falsetto. 27: YAH MO B THERE – JAMES INGRAM WITH MICHAEL McDONALD (35) - Kind of an odd title, but a great song - one of my favorite songs from both artists. 26: BABY I LIED – DEBORAH ALLEN (36) - This one had a somewhat odd chart run. The week before, it appeared to have peaked at #36, and this week, shoots ahead ten spots, as this week's biggest mover. That proved to be a fluke, however, as this is all the higher the song got. Not sure what happened there. Whatever the case, it was a great song! 25: MIDDLE OF THE ROAD – THE PRETENDERS (34) - They had a handful of songs that hit the Top 40. This one was pretty good, but I preferred "Brass In Pocket" and "Back On The Chain Gang". 24: AN INNOCENT MAN – BILLY JOEL (28) - On a different show, Billy Joel said that this was inspired by the music of Ben E. King, but the intro to this song is a dead ringer for that of "Blue Bayou" by Linda Ronstadt. Both are great songs and this is definitely one of my favorites from the album of the same title. LDD: ENDLESS LOVE – DIANA ROSS AND LIONEL RICHIE - This was a dedication from G.I. Joe (not the superhero) to his wife Sherry. This song was very appropriate for the dedication. 23: ALL NIGHT LONG (ALL NIGHT) – LIONEL RICHIE (11) - Wow, he appeared back-to-back in the show! As we all know, I'm not a fan of this song. I preferred his other song that's coming up a little later. 22: LET THE MUSIC PLAY - SHANNON (26) - This was one of those songs that I could take or leave. 21: READ ‘EM AND WEEP – BARRY MANILOW (18) - Definitely one of the best balladeers ever! This was one of my all-time faves from him! I loved the theatrical sound, courtesy of Jim Steinman. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GIVE IT UP - KC 20: UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT – THE ROLLING STONES (12) - They had been charting for twenty years, but they definitely still had their touch, as this song hit the Top Ten, putting them in second place all by themselves in the category of most Top Ten hits by a group, with 20 of them so far. I thought it was pretty good, but far from being one of my favorites from them. 19: IF I’D BEEN THE ONE – .38 SPECIAL (23) - I think it's been made abundantly clear that this, along with "Caught Up In You" and "Like No Other Night" are my three favorites from them - not sure which of the three I like the most. 18: TIME WILL REVEAL - DeBARGE (24) - The third Top 40 hit for this R&B family act from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I always thought it was a woman singing the lead vocals, but it was actually the falsetto of El DeBarge. This was my favorite song from them up to this point. 17: HOLIDAY - MADONNA (25) - This was the one that started it all off for the material girl. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred her next hit "Borderline", which was her first Top Ten hit. 16: I STILL CAN’T GET OVER LOVING YOU – RAY PARKER JR (20) - "I Want A New Drug" isn't the first song that he ripped off - for this one, he used a line from the Police's monster song from the year before, "Every Breath You Take" I do prefer this song over the former, which was way overplayed. This song sounds like the prequel to "Jamie", as it's also about a former lover that he can't seem to let go of. I liked the story that Casey told about how he broke his leg in three places by showing off with his bike for a girl he had a crush on. He somehow forged a career out of that mishap. 15: THE CURLY SHUFFLE – JUMP ‘N THE SADDLE (16) - You gotta be a big Three Stooges fan to appreciate this song. I grew up watching the Stooges, so I knew Curly's catchphrases heard in the choruses quite well. Since Jump 'N The Saddle was a Chicago band, this one got heavy airplay on both WLS and WBBM-FM. 14: THINK OF LAURA – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (21) - This song always brings tears to my eyes, as it always reminds me of a friend of mine that died back in the summer of 2009. The lyrics describe her perfectly - except that her name was Kelley, not Laura. Nowadays, the song is all the more poignant, as another such friend like that passed away a few years back and this song also describes the kind of a person she was. 13: PINK HOUSES – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (22) - Hmm, I wonder if any of the pink houses he speaks of have that same freeway running through the front yard? I'll have to look into it. But seriously, this song was a good one - I preferred it over the first hit from "Uh-Huh" by a considerable margin. 12: THAT’S ALL – GENESIS (17) - Their first six songs all missed the Top Ten, but this one would start a long streak of Top Ten hits (that is, speaking in terms of Top 40 hits; their next hits "Illegal Alien" and "Taking It All Too Hard" also hit the Hot 100, but peaked before hitting the Top 40). As for this song, I liked it, but it's definitely not their best. 11: UNION OF THE SNAKE – DURAN DURAN (4) - The first Top 40 hit from Seven And The Ragged Tiger - the song wasn't bad, but, as stated earlier, I preferred their next hit, "New Moon On Monday". OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANT A NEW DRUG - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS - This is the song I mentioned earlier that charted twice in 1984 - peaked at #6 the first time around and then came back and hit #1 in August its second time out. But seriously, it was a good song, but I preferred "If This Is It" from the Sports album. 10: SAY IT ISN’T SO – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (3) - One of two new songs on their first Greatest Hits album. The song wasn't bad, but definitely far from their best. 9: RUNNING WITH THE NIGHT – LIONEL RICHIE (10) - The second single from possibly Richie's biggest album ever. This song was IMO much better than the first (like basically anything from him), but I preferred the next release, "Hello", which would hit #1 a few months later. 8: JOANNA – KOOL & THE GANG (13) - The first of seven consecutive Top 40 hits from them that featured one-word titles. One of my favorites from them! 7: TWIST OF FATE – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (5) - This was the first of two Top 40 hits from the lesser known Travolta/Newton-John movie Two Of A Kind. I liked this song, but I preferred the next hit, "Livin' In Desperate Times". 6: I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES – ELTON JOHN (8) - A song that might be credited as "Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder", as the latter does an awesome harmonica solo in this song! They edited this song, but it was by cutting out the second verse, instead of Stevie's solo, which occasionally, they did cut - including the week that Casey talked it (which was the February 18 show - I assume it was a Premiere edit). 5: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER (7) - Back in the day, I hated this song with a passion, but it's one of those songs that gets better with age. Now, I think it's a great one. LDD: HELLO GOODBYE - THE BEATLES - This song was appropriate for the dedication, as, for one, it was to someone who was a big Beatles fan and, most of all, someone who was a total opposite from the author, who was her roommate in college). 4: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP – THE ROMANTICS (6) - This area of the chart was rather tight the week before, with several songs stalling out before reaching their peak. This was one of those songs, but, as Casey put it, the song woke up and moved up. Casual listeners might be surprised that this was their first Top 40 hit, since "What I Like About You", which possibly gets more recurrent airplay than this one, surely must have hit the Top 40. But, as we all know, the song peaked at #49 on the chart. This song hit the Top Five and was their first of two Top 40 hits. The second one, "One In A Million", was my favorite of those. 3: KARMA CHAMELEON – CULTURE CLUB (9) - Meh, I'm not a big fan of this one, which is the song responsible for preventing "Joanna" from hitting #1. Besides, Boy George and his Club were starting to get old at this point. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER - This is the song that started it all off for the unusual one, poised to hit the countdown the following week. It was a great one - not sure if I prefer this one or "She Bop". 2: SAY SAY SAY – PAUL McCARTNEY AND MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - Definitely one of the songs I associate the most with the winter of 1983, as the song was #1 for nearly half of the season. I was burned out on it for quite awhile, but now, it's good to hear it every now and again. 1: OWNER OF A LONELY HEART - YES (2) - After many years, they finally had their first Top Ten. But it didn't stop there - it went on to hit #1, becoming one of the biggest hits of 1984. I thought it was a good song, though not quite my favorite song on the chart. Still, I’m glad that this one was #1 on the week of my birthday instead of that annoying Culture Club song (which was #1 on the R&R chart that week).
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Post by Hervard on Jan 22, 2021 13:44:01 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 23, 2021
This week's presentation - January 22, 1977
Dropped: LOVE SO RIGHT - THE BEE GEES (40) - This song was moving up the chart rather quickly and looked like it might be another #1 like "You Should Be Dancing", but not quite. It did peak at #3, which is good, too. It did more or less get the last laugh on the year-ender, as it ranked higher than the two songs that kept them from making it to at least the runner-up position. This was one of my favorite songs from the Brothers Gibb. NIGHTS ARE FOREVER WITHOUT YOU - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (39) - FREE BIRD - LYNYRD SKYNYRD (38) - A live version of this classic rock staple that charted just two years before, peaking at #19. Although I'm not a huge fan of them, this one was actually pretty good. Too bad Will To Power had to go and ruin it about 13 years later. NADIA'S THEME (THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) - BARRY de VORZON & PERRY BOTKIN JR. (29) - A great chill-out type song. DRIVIN' WHEEL - FOGHAT (34) - This song was only heard on American Top 40 for two weeks (as its first two weeks were during the year-ender). I seem to recall that they sounded like Boston on this one, and that it was a pretty good song. MUSKRAT LOVE - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (32) - Thank God this repulsive, embarrassing song drops off this week. That is all. MORE THAN A FEELING - BOSTON (29) - Well, speak of the devil! I just mentioned this band two songs back and here they are, with their debut hit. 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 (I wonder if Ken Martin would have inserted the album version into the countdown). Definitely one of my favorite songs by Boston.
40: LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE - SMOKIE (debut) - ALICE?? WHO THE F--- IS ALICE?? No, seriously, this is a pretty cool song, as is Gompie’s mid-90's remake of the song. 39: IT KEEPS YOU RUNNIN' - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (debut) - Carly Simon had a minor hit with this song the year before, with the Doobie Brothers singing back-up. This week, the original version of the song, from an album also released in 1976, hits the chart. Too bad it only got two spots higher, as it was a good song. 38: GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC (debut) - The first of four singles from one of the biggest albums ever, Rumors, which kept them on the charts almost steadily throughout 1977. It's my second favorite of the four, behind "You Make Lovin' Fun". 37: YO'VE GOT ME RUNNIN' - GENE COTTON (debut) - Though I preferred his hit from the following year, "Before My Heart Finds Out", this was a good one as well - has that steel guitar that many MOR songs of the kind contained back in the late 1970s. 36: YEAR OF THE CAT - AL STEWART (debut) - He may have only had four Top 40 hits, but I liked each one of them! Not sure where this one ranks - possibly second behind "Time Passages". 35: SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY - STEPHEN BISHOP (debut) - This song may have been about a rainy day, but at least it didn't have that type of feel to it - in fact, it was quite upbeat. The song was not bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to "On And On", from later in 1977. 34: LOVE ME - YVONNE ELLIMAN (18) - You can hear the Bee Gees influence on this one (as they were the ones who produced it). It wasn't bad, but I preferred another Bee Gees produced song from her (that, of course, would be "If I Can't Have You", which became her biggest hit ever). 33: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (debut) - It's a rather rare occasion when my favorite song by a certain act ends up being their biggest hit ever, but this is definitely an example. Casey correctly predicted this one going to #1! 32: THIS SONG - GEORGE HARRISON (25) - Wow, what a creative title - a follow-up to "That Song"? No, seriously, this one was pretty good, but I much preferred his next hit, "Crackerbox Palace". 31: SHAKE YOUR RUMP TO THE FUNK - BAR-KAYS (23) - Meh, typical roof-raising R&B... 30: THE RUBBERBAND MAN - THE SPINNERS (11) - What, does he shoot rubberbands at unsuspecting victims? No, seriously, this song's OK, but definitely far from being my favorite song from them. 29: NIGHT MOVES - BOB SEGER (36) - The title track from one of Seger's best albums ever! I preferred the next single from that album, "Mainstreet", but this one was great also. 28: WHISPERING - DR. BUZZARD'S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND (30) - This was a medley and IIRC, they usually rotated between the three songs featured in this. This week, they went with the first one, which was a good one. 27: AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING - DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (31) - Wow, this sounds very similar to the original by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Not sure which of the two I prefer - both are great! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY - THELMA HOUSTON - This song, which was at #43 on the Hot 100 this week, poised to debut at #30 the following week, set the record for the slowest climbing #1 song by a woman. I'm sure the record has been broken by now, but that would likely be after 11/30/91, which was when I stopped believing in the Hot 100. I like this song, but preferred the Communards remake, which peaked at #40 ten years later. 26: I NEVER CRY - ALICE COOPER (27) - This song appeared to be getting a second wind this week, but, of course, it was merely a fluke, as it fell back to #34 the following week. Cooper was more famous for his hard rockers, but he did release a few ballads - in fact, this was the second of three in a row. My favorite was "Only Women", and I'm not sure if I prefer this one or "You And Me". Depends on my mood at the time. 25: HARD LUCK WOMAN - KISS (33) - This song charted twice - once in early 1977 and again in the summer of 1994, when Garth Brooks peaked at #26 with his cover version, which featured Kiss themselves on the instruments. Both versions sounded very similar, so it's hard to tell which version I prefer - both of them are great IMO. 24: STAND TALL - BURTON CUMMINGS (10) - The former lead singer of the Guess Who managed to have two solo hits, and this was the biggest. It was a good one and, as I've said before, it would make a great closing theme for a movie whose plot dealt with a story of success. 23: SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD - ELTON JOHN (7) - Elton's chart career all but came to a grinding halt after this song fell out of the charts, as most of his Top 40 hits over the next seven or so years did not hit the Top Ten. There are several theories about why this was, though I am not going to go into any of them right now. This song, the first of two singles from his Blue Moves album was a great one, as melancholy as it was. 22: SATURDAY NITE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (24) - Well, I'm actually listening to this on Sunday afternoon, so... Seriously, this song was pretty good, though it's definitely not their best. 21: WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND - BARRY MANILOW (26) - I hear that it's quite frigid in New England right now, so I'll stay here in the Great Lakes area, where it's in the low 30s, thank you very much. 20: LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN) - BARBRA STREISAND (35) - After a modest, five spot move the week before, this song really takes off this week. The soundtrack of "A Star Is Born" would hit #1 on the album chart a few weeks later and the song would do the same on the Hot 100 a few weeks after that, and deservedly so, as this was one of Streisand's best songs ever! 19: JEANS ON - DAVID DUNDAS (22) - Well, I should hope you have your jeans on! I don't want to see you in your briefs, thank you very much! But seriously, this song was pretty good. 18: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (28) - The third Top 40 single from the album of the same name. It would also be the last, as Miller would release Book Of Dreams soon after this song ended its chart run. This is one of my favorite Steve Miller songs ever! 17: LIVIN' THING - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (19) - They seem to edit this song more often than not, or maybe it's just me - who knows? Of course, those of us who heard the WTOJ supersized broadcast of this heard the entire song. But anyway, this was a good song, but I prefer a few others from them. 16: I LIKE DREAMIN' - KENNY NOLAN (21) - After years of writing big hits for other artists, Kenny wrote one for himself, and it proved to be worthwhile, as the song climbed all the way to #3. It's a good song when it doesn't stick in my mind all day, like it has done several times before. 15: ENJOY YOURSELF - THE JACKSONS (17) - The Jacksons had been hitting the chart for years, but I wasn't a big fan of them by this point. They were much better in the early 70s, when they were known as the Jackson 5. 14: LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - BREAD (18) - They were mainly an early-70s band, but they did have a comeback hit in late 1976, which hit the Top Ten. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from them! 13: SOMEBODY TO LOVE - QUEEN (15) - Definitely not my favorite song from them by any means. I seem to recall that I liked George Michael's live remake of the song in 1993, though. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE - 10CC - Wow, right after a song by Queen is a song that is reminiscent of one of their songs (in this case, "Killer Queen"). Of their two Top Ten hits, this would be my favorite - a song I remember quite well from back in the day. I don't think Larry was exactly right when he said that this was their biggest hit, though. It was pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'm Not In Love", as the latter peaked three spots higher and the former spent a few more weeks on the chart. 12: WALK THIS WAY - AEROSMITH (14) - Their second Top Ten (and last one for another eleven years). I liked this song, but preferred Run DMC's cover from 1986. 11: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT) - ROD STEWART (6) - Casey was a little off when he mentioned how many weeks this was in the Top Ten. It was actually eleven, not ten (maybe he didn't count the frozen week). Anyway, this song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1 and this week, surpassed "Silly Love Songs" as the longest-running #1 song of 1976. Since it charted so late in the year, however, it was deferred to 1977's list, on which it was in the runner-up position, behind Andy Gibb. I thought this was a great song! One of his best. His song from early 1990, “Downtown Train” sounds a lot like this one. 10: TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS GEEZERS - MARY MacGREGOR (20) - Ugh - this is a song that I wouldn't mind to see chopped down. To me, the song sounds a lot like a confession on the Jerry Springer show, especially the first verse (you know, how the Jerry Springer guests butter up their lover before spilling the beans)? I was never a fan of this song, which is definitely a cure for insomnia. The song, unfortunately, would leap to #1 two weeks later. 9: BLINDED BY THE LIGHT - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (19) - Here's another song that Casey correctly predicted as a future number one song. On the corresponding R&R chart, it was hitting #1 for the first of three weeks and would hit the top of the Hot 100 in mid-February. I was glad to hear the single version played intact (as they usually skipped from the first verse to the final chorus). Anyway, this was a great song - one I remember from back in the day. 8: AFTER THE LOVIN' - ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK (9) - This is my favorite song from him by default, as it's the only song I've ever heard by him - that I know of, anyway. 7: NEW KID IN TOWN - THE EAGLES (12) - The lead-off single from the album for which the Eagles seem to be most famous, Hotel California. I like their two #1 songs from that album best, but I'm not sure which one I prefer, as both are great songs and among my favorites from them! 6: HOT LINE - THE SYLVERS (8) - I wonder how many kids who hear this song say, "WTF" to the woman near the beginning saying, "Number, please" As for this song, I like it and "Boogie Fever" about the same (although the latter sometimes wins out). 5: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR (TO BE IN MY SHOW) - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (4) - This was the very first #1 song of 1977. It was a pretty good song, but I prefer many other songs on this week's chart. 4: DAZZ - BRICK (5) - Typical roof raising R&B music of the 70s that I wasn't a big fan of. 3: YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING - LEO SAYER (1) - This would be the first of two #1 songs from him, during the same year, no less. This would be my favorite of the two songs, by a fair margin (as "When I Need You" is a little maudlin for my liking). OPTIONAL EXTRA: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS - The first of seven Top 40 hits from this band from Topeka. This one didn't quite make the Top Ten, though it may as well have, with all the airplay it got back in the day. Anyway, this was one of my favorites from them. 2: CAR WASH - ROSE ROYCE (3) - For a disco song, this one was pretty good. I remember that sometime during my senior year in high school, I started to watch the movie of the same name, but dozed off during the first half hour. Must not have made that big of an impression on me. 1: I WISH - STEVIE WONDER (2) - The first of two #1 hits he had in 1977. This song must hold the record for the most consecutive jumps of eleven spots, with three in a row. As for my opinion of the song, I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sir Duke", which hit #1 in May.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 22, 2021 13:44:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 23, 2021
This week's presentation - January 29, 1983
Droppers: MEMORY - BARRY MANILOW (39) - A classic song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats. I like it and Barbra Streisand's version about the same. TWO LESS LONELY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - AIR SUPPLY (38) - This song and their preceding hit "Young Love" both peaked at #38, making it clear that they'd had their day in the sun (though they did have a respectable comeback later that year with "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All"). Too bad this one tanked so fast, though, because it was a great song! STEPPIN' OUT - JOE JACKSON (28) - This song was a nominee for Record Of The Year in the upcoming Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, it lost to "Rosanna" by Toto. That's OK; I preferred that song anyway. This one was pretty good, but I preferred Jackson's other Top 40 hits. I DO - J GEILS BAND (24) - They really broke wide open in 1982, with two big Top Five hits. This song, originally recorded for their Monkey Island album in 1977, was the only Top 40 hit from their live album Showtime! The song was OK, but I preferred "Centerfold" by a sizeable margin. THE LOOK OF LOVE - ABC (18) - The Top 20 drops that 1982 was famous for were still happening in early 1983 as well. Anyway, this may not have been their biggest hit, but it is the song that I seem to hear most often on 80s stations (though their two Top Ten hits from later in the 80s also receive a fair amount of recurrent airplay). This would probably be my favorite song by ABC.
LW#2: THE GIRL IS MINE – MICHAEL JACKSON AND PAUL McCARTNEY LW#1: DOWN UNDER – MEN AT WORK 40: PUT IT IN A MAGAZINE – SONNY CHARLES (40) - A typical early-80s slow jam. It was a good one, IMO. Unfortunately, this was all the higher the song got. 39: ON THE LOOSE - SAGA (debut) - One I remember quite well from early 1983 (since Chicago stations WLS and B96 played it regularly). It's a good song, but surprisingly, I'm a little tired of it, since it's on a mix tape that I used to listen to on a regular basis, but it's still a great song! 38: I KNEW YOU WHEN – LINDA RONSTADT (debut) - Meh, not a fan of this one. She was in somewhat of a slump in the early-80s, IMO. In late 1982, she had a song that she pretty much screamed. This one was a little better, but I found the "yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus lead-ins annoying. 37: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years. 36: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS & SHEENA EASTON (debut) - Well, I must say that I do prefer this one over the original by Bob Seger, but it is definitely not my favorite song by either artist. 35: BAD BOY - RAY, PARKER, JR (37) - This song was the sequel to his previous hit "The Other Woman". He was done having fun with said other woman and wanted to get back together with his ex - the question is, did she take him back? Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred his earlier hits, mainly the ones with Raydio. 34: GLORIA - LAURA BRANIGAN (15) - Casey mentioned how this was the longest-running song in the Top 40 by a solo woman. The song had peaked at #2 two months before and had been slowly gliding down the survey, but gravity set in this week, as the song took the biggest drop in the countdown. This was a great song - one I never got tired of despite its overplay (I believe it was still on WLS's survey well into mid-spring). 33: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (36) - Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...oh, wrong Twilight Zone? My bad. This song has become a classic rock staple, along with their 1974 hit "Radar Love". Of those songs, I prefer this one. I remember hearing this one quite a lot in the spring of 1983. 32: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (debut) - This was their second Top 40 hit and their first Top Ten. Possibly my favorite song from them (though "Brass In Pocket" might give this a run for its money). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART) - JOURNEY - This song was on its way to #1 on the R&R chart, where it would spend a pair of weeks. On the Hot 100, however, it would peak at #8 - for six weeks. Aside from Billboard's oddball bullet policy, the fact that Frontiers sold millions of copies contributed to its peak difference (as most Journey fans bought the album). This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but there were many other songs from them that I preferred. 31: SPACE AGE LOVE SONG – A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (33) - One of many British bands on the chart, such would be the case throughout 1983 as the second British invasion was in full swing! This band's first hit "I Ran" was a Top Ten hit, as we all know, but this song, on the other hand, didn't even touch the Top 30, which was a shame, since it was a great song. 30: WHAT ABOUT ME – MOVING PICTURES (32) - Its slow climb and tenure on the chart versus its peak leads me to believe that this song had sporadic airplay, but did well where played. It only got as high as #29, but spent 13 weeks in the Top 40 and a half a year on the Hot 100. The song was a good one, though I do remember that I disliked it during its chart run. 29: SHOCK THE MONKEY – PETER GABRIEL (30) - The first Top 40 hit from this former member of Genesis (though with all the recurrent airplay that "Solsbury Hill" receives, it's a surprise that it never hit the 40). Anyway, this was a great song - I prefer this song over his two overplayed 1986 hits by a wide margin. LDD: HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER – THE HOLLIES - 28: YOU ARE – LIONEL RICHIE (35) - This one definitely takes me back to early spring, 1983 - namely, since it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay. Yet "All Night Long" is played regularly - where is the justice I tell ya! But seriously, I liked this song a lot. Glad that it hit #1 on the R&R chart!. 27: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN (34) - This was their breakthrough hit here in the states and it was the first of many Top Ten hits for the British band. It was one of my favorite songs from them of all time. 26: HEARTBREAKER – DIONNE WARWICK (10) - She started out in the 1960s and was still going strong in the 1980s as well! The Bee Gees wrote this one and you can hear Barry Gibb singing back-up on the chorus. Definitely a great song! 25: HEART OF THE NIGHT – JUICE NEWTON (26) - As this song was peaking this week at #35, it was clear to see that Newton had her day in the sun. After 1983, she was nowhere to be found in the Top 40, but she continued to do well at Country. Anyway, though it doesn't hold a candle to her three 1982 hits, it's still a good song. 24: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – CULTURE CLUB (31) - We all know that my opinion on the song depends on which version they played. I don't like the intro (does Boy George have any cheese to go with that whine?), and I find the instrumental bridge annoying. This time, they cut out the latter of the two, so that’s cool. 23: ALL RIGHT – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (29) - This song had a promising start, debuting on the entire Hot 100 at #29 the week before. Sounds like a sure-fire Top Five hit, yet it didn’t even hit the Top Ten, though it did hit #3 on the R&R chart - I guess, since it was from a long-awaited album, people bought it instead of the single. Anyway, like most of Cross' Top 40 hits, this song was a great one, IMO. 22: LOVE IN STORE – FLEETWOOD MAC (22) - I didn't really like this song when it was charting, but now I kind of like it. This one and "Think About Me" are alike in so many ways. They're the third singles from their respective albums, both featured Christine McVie on lead vocals (and the songs sound somewhat similar, especially in the verses), and both hit #9 on R&R (and spent seven weeks on the chart), but only got to around the midpoint of the AT40 chart. Did I leave anything out? OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA - One of two former members of Abba that hit the chart in 1983 (the other was Agnetha Faltskog, whose "Can't Shake Loose" charted in the fall). Phil Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. 21: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY – SAMMY HAGAR (25) - Great song! How great, you may wonder? Well, it was great enough to be the #1 song of the entire year, according to my Personal Top 30 charts! It was also the only song on my chart ever to spend its entire chart run in the Top Ten (since early 1983 was an extremely busy era, with so many great songs being released - most descending songs did fall off from inside the Top Ten). 20: YOU GOT LUCKY – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (21) - It looked like this song had peaked, but it did manage to climb a spot higher this week. It was a good song (one I remember quite well from back in the day), but I preferred many others from him/them. 19: HAND TO HOLD ON TO – JOHN COUGAR (19) - This was a landmark single for John - the last one without his real last name. On his next album, Uh-Huh, he added his real last name Mellencamp to his stage name (and eight years later, he'd drop the Cougar from his name completely). As for this song, it sounded like a watered-down version of "Hurts So Good". It was still not bad, though. 18: ALLENTOWN – BILLY JOEL (20) - Excluding all Hot 100 chart data past 11/30/91, I believe this could hold the record for the longest peak at #17, where it would peak the following week - and here's a good one - it didn't plummet straight off the chart the week after its last week at #17. Anyway, this was one of his best (and unfortunately, the message in this song is still timely today). 17: PASS THE DUTCHIE – MUSICAL YOUTH (27) - A rather weird song, but not too bad, I guess. Nothing I'd want to hear on a regular basis, though. 16: STRAY CAT STRUT – THE STRAY CATS (23) - Their second Top Ten hit (following "Rock This Town", which peaked at #9), this one did significantly better, hitting #3 a few weeks before. This was my second favorite song from them, behind "I Won't Stand In Your Way", which charted at the end of that year. 15: HEART TO HEART – KENNY LOGGINS (16) - One of several songs on the chart that hit the Top 3 on the R&R chart, but didn't quite hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart. This song would peak at #15. It's a great song - one of my favorite of Loggins' Top 40 hits, although the single version seems to be cut down too much. I seem to recall an AT40 where the album version was played - can anyone confirm? 14: GOODY TWO SHOES – ADAM ANT (17) - One of several rockabilly songs that charted around late 1982/early 1983. I liked this song, but preferred his 1995 hit "Wonderful", which had sort of an early-80s sound to it, making me wonder how it would have done had it charted around now instead of this song. LDD: SOMEBODY’S BABY – JACKSON BROWNE - This one always reminded me of a girl I had a crush on back in fifth grade, for some reason. It remains one of my favorites from Jackson Browne. I didn’t like the way they edited out the bridge, especially since I suspect that was the part of the song that inspired the author of the dedication to ask out the girl he had a crush on. 13: MICKEY – TONI BASIL (9) - This was a great cheerleading anthem! One of my favorite songs from back in the day! 12: THE OTHER GUY – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (14) - They definitely had a pretty good run, but it was almost over; this was their final Top 20 hit. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "We Two". OPTIONAL EXTRA: JEOPARDY - GREG KIHN BAND - This song saved them from being one-hit wonders, and also gave them their first Top Ten hit. A great song that always takes me back to the spring of 1983. 11: YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE – PHIL COLLINS (13) - The first of two Supremes covers that charted in 1983. The other one was "Stop! In The Name Of Love" by the Hollies, from that summer. I preferred that one, but this was a good one as well. 10: YOU AND I – EDDIE RABBITT WITH CRYSTAL GAYLE (11) - A one-time duet from two of my favorite pop/country artists, and a great one at that - one of my favorite from both of them. 9: SHAME ON THE MOON – BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND (12) - This song would spend four frustrating weeks at #2, but couldn't quite make it past "Billie Jean", which leapfrogged over him. It was a good song, though not Seger's best. 8: ROCK THE CASBAH – THE CLASH (8) - This song has two versions of it - on the single version, I believe, the electronic sound effects heard in the third and fourth verses are somewhat muted, and the scream of "JIVE!!" (at the end of the third verse) is drawn out for several measures. I prefer the album version, which I believe is the version that AT40 generally plays. 7: BABY, COME TO ME – PATTI AUSTIN WITH JAMES INGRAM (7) - This song looked like it may have peaked this week, as it was stuck at #7 for a second week, behind a song on its way down that was at #6 for a second week. But it managed to pick up steam and hit #1 a few weeks later. This was first of two duets by the two of them that made the chart - the second was "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" would peak at #45 later in the year, but would do much better at AC radio. This song was a good one, but I preferred said other duet as well as some of their solo hits. 6: MANEATER – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (6) - This was said song that was on its way down. It had already had its turn at #1, a spot it held for a month. I liked this song, but preferred many others from them. 5: THE GIRL IS MINE – MICHAEL JACKSON AND PAUL McCARTNEY (2) - Ah, this was the one that started it all off for Jackson's Thriller album - his biggest selling album of all time. It was also the first of two duets between Jackson and Paul McCartney. I preferred this one - a great song! 4: DIRTY LAUNDRY – DON HENLEY (3) - Henley's first Top 40 solo hit, and his biggest ever. I always liked the song, which was about the tabloidization of the news. 3: SEXUAL HEALING – MARVIN GAYE (4) - This song recently spend a record-tying ten weeks at #1 on the soul chart. It didn't do half bad on the Hot 100 either, peaking here at #3. Gaye was immensely successful in the 60s and 70s, on both the pop and R&B charts, and had one hit in the 1980s before his life was cut short the following year. I was never a huge fan of his music, but this song was actually pretty good. OPTIONAL EXTRA: POISON ARROW - ABC - As "The Look Of Love" dropped out of the Top 40, this song was entering the Hot 100 at #72. I'm kind of surprised that this song only got as high as #25, as WLS and B96 (Chicago stations) played this song on a regular basis. I liked it and "The Look Of Love" about the same. 2: AFRICA - TOTO (5) - They didn't quite hit the top with "Rosanna" (which spent a month at #1 on R&R), but the tables were turned for this song - it hit #1 on the Hot 100 the following week, but peaked at #2 on R&R. Anyway, due to overplay back during its chart run, I detested this song back then, but now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I rather like it. 1: DOWN UNDER – MEN AT WORK (1) - This song was in its third week on top, and yielded to "Africa" the following week, but then made an encore appearance at #1 the week after that. I believe that was the last time that happened (before the PPW era, anyway). Anyway, this one was way overplayed, as was the first hit from Business As Usual, "Who Can It Be Now". Too bad the Cargo singles are all but ignored, since those were far superior, IMO.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 22, 2021 15:39:43 GMT -5
38: I KNEW YOU WHEN – LINDA RONSTADT (debut) - Meh, not a fan of this one. She was in somewhat of a slump in the early-80s, IMO. In late 1982, she had a song that she pretty much screamed. This one was a little better, but I found the "yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus lead-ins annoying. Those 'yeah yeahs' are a direct copy of/homage to the 1965 Billy Joe Royal original hit version of the song.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jan 23, 2021 10:08:05 GMT -5
Can't say I remember "Put It In A Magazine" by Sonny Charles-However,I remember "Black Pearl" with his group The Checkmates from 1969-That was produced by the late Phil Spector.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 23, 2021 11:03:53 GMT -5
Can't say I remember "Put It In A Magazine" by Sonny Charles-However,I remember "Black Pearl" with his group The Checkmates from 1969-That was produced by the late Phil Spector. A great production. I noted it in the Spector thread.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jan 24, 2021 12:43:17 GMT -5
Hervard,I noticed a slight error-It was Stephen Bishop not Elvin Bishop who recorded "Save It For A Rainy Day"-Towards the end,you'll hear Eric Clapton on guitar & Chaka Khan on background vocals.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 24, 2021 14:13:48 GMT -5
32: THIS SONG - GEORGE HARRISON (25) - Wow, what a creative title - a follow-up to "That Song"? No, seriously, this one was pretty good, but I much preferred his next hit, "Crackerbox Palace". This song (pun intended) and it's title were a toungue-in-cheek response by George to the plagiarism lawsuit he was served with by the music publisher of the song "He's So Fine, a #1 1963 single by The Chiffons. The song's writer, Ronnie Mack, had died that same year (1963). The suit claimed that George had copied the melody of "He's So Fine" for "My Sweet Lord", which George denied. However, he lost the suit in 1976 and had to pay royalties to the publisher.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 24, 2021 15:07:58 GMT -5
10: TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS GEEZERS - MARY MacGREGOR (20) - Ugh - this is a song that I wouldn't mind to see chopped down. To me, the song sounds a lot like a confession on the Jerry Springer show, especially the first verse (you know, how the Jerry Springer guests butter up their lover before spilling the beans)? I was never a fan of this song, which is definitely a cure for insomnia. The song, unfortunately, would leap to #1 the following week. Two weeks later, after a week at the top for 'Car Wash'. Agree with you on the awfulness of the song.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jan 24, 2021 15:27:34 GMT -5
George Harrison was the musical guest on the 11/21/76 edition of "Saturday Night Live"-One of the highlights on the show was the airing of the videos for "This Song" & its follow-up "Crackerbox Palace".
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Post by Hervard on Jan 28, 2021 16:27:12 GMT -5
OMG, I am going to be BUSY this weekend - four brand-new commentaries, as these were all originally run before 2015, when I changed my style of commentaries (as well as before mid-2017, when I posted commentaries for all shows regardless of whether or not they'd been previously aired).
EDIT: Since this was a busy weekend, I doubt that I'll be able to listen to all four shows. Since I heard 1975 just two weeks ago, that will probably be the one I forego this week. I will still try to get the critique done, though.
American Top 40 - January 30, 2021
This week's presentation - January 25, 1975
40: BIG YELLOW TAXI – JONI MITCHELL 39: I’M A WOMAN – MARIA MULDAUR 38: KUNG FU FIGHTING – CARL DOUGLAS 37: RIDE ‘EM COWBOY – PAUL DAVIS 36: ANGIE BABY – HELEN REDDY 35: THE ENTERTAINER – BILLY JOEL 34: I BELONG TO YOU – LOVE UNLIMITED 33: CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA 32: MY EYES ADORED YOU – FRANKIE VALLI 31: LADY - STYX 30: YOUR BULLDOG DRINKS CHAMPAGNE – JIM STAFFORD 29: LONELY PEOPLE - AMERICA 28: NIGHTINGALE – CAROLE KING 27: ONLY YOU - RINGO 26: READY – CAT STEVENS 25: SWEET SURRENDER – JOHN DENVER 24: BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE – JETHRO TULL 23: LOOK IN MY EYES PRETTY WOMAN – TONY ORLANDO & DAWN 22: STRUTTIN’ – BILLY PRESTON 21: #9 DREAM – JOHN LENNON 20: BLACK WATER – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS 19: FREE BIRD – LYNYRD SKYNYRD 18: YOU’RE THE FIRST, THE LAST, MY EVERYTHING – BARRY WHITE 17: JUNIOR’S FARM – PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS 16: ROCK ‘N ROLL (I GAVE YOU THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE) – MAC DAVIS 15: BEST OF MY LOVE – THE EAGLES 14: GET DANCIN’ – DISCO TEX & THE SEX-O-LETTES 13: DOCTOR’S ORDERS – CAROL DOUGLAS 12: SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL – GRAND FUNK 11: LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS – ELTON JOHN 10: PICK UP THE PIECES – THE AVERAGE WHITE BAND 9: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE – GLORIA GAYNOR 8: MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN – DONNY & MARIE OSMOND 7: ONE MAN WOMAN/ONE WOMAN MAN – PAUL ANKA WITH ODIA COATES 6: YOU’RE NO GOOD – LINDA RONSTADT 5: BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN – STEVIE WONDER 4: FIRE – THE OHIO PLAYERS 3: MANDY – BARRY MANILOW 2: LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN – NEIL SEDAKA 1: PLEASE MR. POSTMAN – THE CARPENTERS
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Post by Hervard on Jan 28, 2021 16:27:49 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 30, 2021
This week's presentation - January 27, 1979
YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH - MEAT LOAF (39) - A one-week wonder here, as the previous week was this week's only song in the 40, which I thought was a shame, as this was a great song - almost as good as "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad". A MAN I'LL NEVER BE - BOSTON (31) - They were done hitting it big for nearly eight years at this point (in fact, this was their final Top 40 hit until that very successful 80s comeback. PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS - EAGLES (26) - This song sounded a little out of place to be hearing in mid-January, but that's OK; it was definitely a great song! HOW YOU GONNA SEE ME NOW - ALICE COOPER (25) - One of his slower numbers that I generally prefer over his heavy metal songs. Still, it doesn't hold a candle to "Only Women Bleed".
40: YOU NEED A WOMAN TONIGHT - CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (debut) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, as it dropped out the following week. Like most of their songs, it was significantly better than the barf-inducing song about muskrats getting it on, but it's no "Do That To Me One More Time". 39: LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (debut) - As you probably know all too well, this is my all-time favorite song from them! I prefer the album version, which, in some AT40 rebroadcasts, is edited in, but not this week; the chopped down single version that leaves a lot to be desired was featured. 38: DANCIN' SHOES - NIGEL OLSSON (debut) - With such a title, one would expect an upbeat, disco song, but this one is a slow dance song. I liked it. 37: ONE LAST KISS - J. GEILS BAND (38) - Wow, this was definitely a different music style than they had in the 80s - more of a pop sound than rock/AOR. I thought this was a great song - too bad it didn't get any higher than #35. EXTRA: NEITHER ONE OF US - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - One of those "filler extras" that seemed to abound on American Top 40 after they extended to four hours, but before implementing the previous week's Top Three. The story about this song was simply about how they won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for this song. As for the song itself, it was a great one. Definitely one of my favorite songs from Gladys & the Pips! 36: SHAKE YOUR GROOVE THING - PEACHES & HERB (debut) - Indeed a comeback hit, as they had charted several times in the late-60s, and the best was yet to come. This song would go on to hit the Top Five, and the follow-up, which is my favorite from them, went all the way to the top a few months later. 35: (OUR LOVE) DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY - ANDY GIBB (22) - A song originally sung by the Bee Gees (who sing back-up on this song) for the Saturday Night Fever sessions, but not chosen for the soundtrack. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from Andy, such as "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "An Everlasting Love", the latter of which was inadvertently played in place of this song on the countdown three weeks before. 34: SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER - DR. HOOK (20) - They seemed to have a thing about peaking at #6, as this was the third of four consecutive Top Ten hits by them to peak there. The streak was broken in 1980, when "Sexy Eyes" climbed to #5, just like their first hit. As for this song, it was pretty good, but it didn't hold a candle to "Better Love Next Time", my favorite song from them of all time. 33: LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE - ROSE ROYCE (34) - This one was your typical 70's mid-tempo ballad. It was OK, but quite repetitive. EXTRA: BACK IN THE U.S.A. - LINDA RONSTADT - Appropriate song for the LDD, as it was from a family who had moved to Germany to their 18-year old son, who was indeed back in the U.S.A. (since he was finding it too hard to adjust to the move, since he missed home and all his friends). 32: SHATTERED - ROLLING STONES (33) - I'm actually more familiar with the parody of this song by Chicago DJ, called "Skylab". This song is okies, but I prefer many others from them. 31: BABY I'M BURNIN' - DOLLY PARTON (36) - She was primarily a country artist, as we all know, but she did have seven pop hits. This one was pretty good, but I preferred most of her other hits, including a few AC-only hits. AT40 ARCHIVES: HEART OF GOLD - NEIL YOUNG - Wow, this is the first time this song has come up since I've been listening to the show, since a) I don't listen to pre-1975 shows and b) the last time this show was featured, we didn't hear this hour. Surprised that the song wasn't an extra or a LDD somewhere along the line. Anyway, this was a good song, IMO. Seems like there was a song in the countdown back around 2010 or so that sounded reminiscent of this song, but I can't remember what it was. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET - GONZALEZ - This was one of two Top 40 hits on the countdown in early 1979 by an artist sharing their name with a Looney Tunes character - in this case, Speedy Gonzales ("Arriba! Arriba! Andalay! Andalay!"). The last name is spelled slightly different, but that's beside the point. Like the song by the other cartoon character ("You Make Me Feel Real", by "Thufferin' Thuccotash" Sylvester), this song wasn't bad for R&B disco. 30: HOME AND DRY - GERRY RAFFERTY (32) - His third of five Top 40 hits. I like this and "Right Down The Line" about the same. 29: BLUE MORNING, BLUE DAY - FOREIGNER (37) - The third and final single from Double Vision, as well as my favorite of the three (although the other two were great as well!) 28: TAKE ME TO THE RIVER - TALKING HEADS (30) - This one isn't quite as good as "And She Was", but it's worlds better than their annoyance from 1983 (come on, you know the title!) 27: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (13) - The third of four Top 40 hits from the Stranger In Town album. The only of those that I really liked was "Still The Same". 26: HEAVEN KNOWS - DONNA SUMMER W/ BROOKLYN DREAMS (40) - As I've said before, "Love Never Felt So Good" by Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson reminded me of this song, which was possibly my favorite of Donna Summer's many 1979 hits. 25: DON'T CRY OUT LOUD - MELISSA MANCHESTER (29) - This was her second of three Top Ten hits, and it just barely made it - the week after it peaked at #10, it took a hard fall to #29. I'm glad it made the Top Ten, as it's a great one - possibly my all-time favorite song from her! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHAME - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING - Another filler extra, tied in with a story about King being a janitress at a record company and singing while she worked, which was heard by a record producer and, long story short, she got a recording contract and this was her first of four Top 40 hits. It's not bad, but my favorite song from her is "Love Come Down", which hit the Top 20 in the fall of 1982. 24: THE GAMBLER - KENNY ROGERS (28) - Given that this song peaked at #16, it's a surprise that this one actually ranked on the Top 50 of 1979. (Yes, I know very well that's nothing compared to Kris Kardashian's 1973 hit). Anyway, this song's pretty good, but definitely not his best. I especially don't like that blessed Geico ad using this song that used to run every single commercial break. 23: PROMISES - ERIC CLAPTON (9) - For some reason, I have just never been a fan of this song at all. 22: DON'T HOLD BACK - CHANSON (24) - Though I'm not a big disco fan, this one wasn't too bad. 21: NO TELL LOVER - CHICAGO (27) - Sort of a childish sounding title, but it apparently worked, as the song did well on the chart. Did even better on the AC chart, where it hit the Top Five. The song sounded a lot like their older hits, with the horn section heard on many of those songs. I liked this one, but it was definitely not their best. EXTRA: A HORSE WITH NO NAME - AMERICA - You've been through the desert on a horse with no name? To quote comedian Richard Jeni: "You’re in the desert. You’ve got nothing else to do. Name the freaking horse!" As for the song, it was a good one. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU - THE BABYS - This was the second of two Top 20 hits from this band headed up by John Waite, and possibly my favorite of the two, though "Isn't It Time" would be an extremely close second. 20: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR (35) - This anthem for abused women was on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of 1979. This one used to be so/so, but now is one of my favorite disco hits ever! 19: SOUL MAN - BLUES BROTHERS (21) - John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd's rendition of the Sam & Dave classic from the sixties. Most famous for their acting, they had a few charted hits. This song wasn't bad, but my favorite of their cover versions was, by far, "Gimme Some Lovin'", from the summer of the following year. 18: SHAKE IT - IAN MATTHEWS (19) - This song had the MOR sound that would become more commonplace in the early-80s, shortly after the death of disco. I liked this song - I vaguely remember hearing this one back in the day. EXTRA: YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY - MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL - At the time, Marvin was the solo artist with the most charted duets with female singers. This was possibly my favorite of the two - reminds me a little of "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely". 17: GOT TO BE REAL - CHERYL LYNN (23) - The bass line in this song reminds me a little of "Best Of My Love" by The Emotions. Ironically, both songs' bass lines were used in two different Top 40 hits from 1991. This one was sampled, but I don't think that Mariah Carey sampled "Best Of My Love" for her song "Emotions", since it was a tad different. Anyway, I preferred this song over "I'll Do 4 U" by Father MC, which, of course, was the song that sampled this song's bass line 16: I WAS MADE FOR DANCING - LEIF GARRETT (18) - This was his first original song to hit the Top 40, and it apparently worked, as this was his first Top Ten. 15: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT - BARRY MANILOW (17) - This song, originally recorded by Helen Reddy three years prior, was on its way to becoming Manilow's eighth Top Ten hit. Strangely enough, Manilow's "somewhere" song was heard on this week's 1982 show. Though I prefer that song, this was a good one as well. EXTRA: NEW YORK MINING DISASTER 1941 - BEE GEES - This was played a the third Optional Extra. Not a bad song, but I generally preferred their disco era hits. 14: NEW YORK GROOVE - ACE FREHLEY (16) - I heard somewhere that he has a brother who's an author, whose all time best-seller is "The Yellow River". As for this song, it was so/so, but nothing special. 13: LOTTA LOVE - NICOLETTE LARSON (15) - A great song from someone who, sadly, passed away at the end of 1997 12: YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS - BARBRA STREISAND & NEIL DIAMOND (6) - I never understood how this song became as big a hit as it was. Really - who wants to hear these two geezers whining and sniveling about not receiving a few flowers. So the neighbors got tired of them prowling around in their garden - who could blame them? 11: FIRE - THE POINTER SISTERS (14) - Springsteen had only had two Top 40 hits at this point, but he wrote many songs for other artists, like this song. It was a great one - one of my favorite songs by the Pointer Sisters, as well as one of their biggest hits ever. EXTRA: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE - ROBERTA FLACK - A true cure for insomnia. That is all. 10: SEPTEMBER - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (12) - Their fourth Top Ten hit, and one of their best ever! This one still gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay on oldies stations. 9: EVERY 1'S A WINNER - HOT CHOCOLATE (11) - Meh, not a big fan of this one, or them in general. 8: HOLD THE LINE - TOTO (5) - The very first Top 40 hit for this band who would be one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, especially the early half. It was pretty good, but definitely not their best. 7: OOH BABY BABY - LINDA RONSTADT (7) - One of many covers that Linda charted with, in this case, the classic by the Miracles. It was pretty good - I liked both versions about the same. 6: A LITTLE MORE LOVE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (8) - She indeed had a great year in 1978 and 1979 was pretty good to her as well, as she had, with two Top 40 hits. This was the biggest of them, peaking at #3 in February, and deservedly so, as this was a great song! 5: MY LIFE - BILLY JOEL (3) - Definitely my favorite single from 52nd Street - by a fairly wide margin, as well as one of my favorites from him of all-time. I was pleasantly surprised that they played the album version of the song, as IIRC, they generally went with the single version, which I never cared for. The way they edited it for the 45 made it sound so abrupt. EXTRA: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW - What a sweet LDD! And a great song to go along with it - my favorite of Barry Manilow's #1 hits. BTW, how long did they have the “Long Distance Dedication” jingle, as well as the music that played under Casey reading the letter? 4: DO YOU THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART (10) - With such a huge jump within the Top Ten, it's no surprise that this song hit #1, just two weeks later. This song was OK, but certainly not Stewart's best. I still haven't forgiven it for beating out "What A Fool Believes" for the top song of 1979 on the R&R year-ender 3: Y.M.C.A. - VILLAGE PEOPLE (4) - I realize that I've been way too harsh with this song in my past commentaries - to tell the truth, I actually used to like this song, but it's just that the goofy dance to this song, with everyone forming the letters, has been run into the ground, big time. Before that, it used to be a decent song, but after every single dance or wedding reception I've gone to over the past 25 or so years felt that they couldn't possibly go without playing this song, that dimmed my fascination for this song. I realize that there are still many people who like the song and really, more power to them (after all, as I said, I used to be one of them), but I could definitely go for the rest of my life without hearing this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS - NEIL DIAMOND - This was a good song, but it sure didn't last long on the chart, did it? It climbed to #20 and then dropped off the week after it peaked! Perhaps the Top 40 audience was still down on him for doing that awful duet with Barbra Streisand? 2: TOO MUCH HEAVEN - BEE GEES (2) - I liked most of their slow songs (from 1975 on, that is), but this is possibly my least favorite of them. Not sure; I just have never gotten into this song. 1: LE FREAK - CHIC (1) - This was the first song to hit #1 three times in a single chart run. And everytime it hit #1, it would spend a week longer at the top than the last time. With a grand total of six weeks on top, this was the biggest disco hit of all time, according to AT40's Top 40 Disco Songs countdown a few months later. I was never a big fan of the song, but it is tolerable.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 28, 2021 16:28:01 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 30, 2021
This week's presentation - January 30, 1982
LW#2: WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU - FOREIGNER LW#1: PHYSICAL - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN 40: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - JOURNEY (28) - This song could be the song from them that receives the most recurrent airplay on oldies stations (though many AC-based ones still play "Faithfully" on a regular basis). Anyway, this song has held up quite well despite overplay - it is still one of my favorites. 39: SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - THE POLICE (debut) - There are spirits eating your Cheerios? Well, ignore them and get yourself another bowl. But seriously, I did like this song a lot. 38: PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (debut) - Oh yeah, I remember running this album into the ground in 1982! I was a true video game fanatic back then. The album, based entirely on video games, contains songs about arcade classics like Pac Man, Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Defender, Mousetrap, and Berzerk, in that order. Indeed, I played the album enough times to ingrain the order of the songs into my mind for life; heck, I'm surprised that my Dad didn't hide the record when I wasn't looking, as I drove both him and my brother by playing the record ad naseum! 37: THAT GIRL - STEVIE WONDER (debut) - This song, by who would become Billboard's Top Soul Singles artist of 1982, would indeed do much better on the Soul Chart, spending nine weeks on top (and, unsurprisingly, became the #1 Soul song of the year). Here on the Hot 100, it peaked at #4, which was great as well. I liked it, but preferred several other songs from him (including his third hit from Musiquarium, "Ribbon In The Sky" which didn't quite make the Top 40). 36: ABACAB - GENESIS (40) - This song, by who would become Billboard's Top Soul Singles artist of 1982, would indeed do much better on the Soul Chart, spending nine weeks on top (and, unsurprisingly, became the #1 Soul song of the year). Here on the Hot 100, it peaked at #4, which was great as well. I liked it, but preferred several other songs from him (including his third hit from Musiquarium, "Ribbon In The Sky" which didn't quite make the Top 40). 35: SEA OF LOVE - DEL SHANNON (38) - I've heard this song many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD (which I really need to break out and listen to sometime, since it's been quite awhile since I've heard it). It's a great song - my favorite version of the song that I've heard. 34: ALL OUR TOMORROWS - EDDIE SCHWARTZ (37) - The only Top 40 hit for this Canada native. It was a good song - your typical early 80's MOR music. 33: WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND - LOVERBOY (36) - Two Canadian acts in a row! This is possibly the song by them that gets the most recurrent airplay, yet the song barely touched the Top 30 . I noticed a bad editing job, though - they linked the first and second choruses together and the first line, "Everbody's working for the weekend" was heard twice. 32: SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD - BARRY MANILOW (39) - He pulled double duty this week, as both "A" shows featured a song from him - and both songs have somewhat similar titles to boot. I like both of them, but I preferred this one, which just missed the Top 20, which was too bad, since it was a great song! Unfortunately, Manilow was done hitting the Top 10 on the pop charts at this point, but continued to do well at Adult Contemporary, where this song would go all the way to #1 in February. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS - Ah, a nice chill-out type tune. This song, of course, would set the record for the slowest climb to #1, getting there in its 22nd week. I thought it was a great song - one I remember hearing all the time back in the spring of 1982. 31: KEY LARGO - BERTIE HIGGINS (35) - Another one-hit wonder, like Eddie Schwartz, but this song got a lot of mileage - spent 17 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #8. This one must have gotten a lot of airplay on U93 during 1982, as the song was their second most popular song of the year. I wasn't listening to the station yet, so I don't really remember hearing it a lot. It was a great song. 30: LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE - ALABAMA (33) - We all know that they were a huge country act, but they did have several pop crossovers. This one was the most successful, peaking at #15 (and registering on the year-ender). It is also my favorite of their crossover hits - a great song indeed! 29: MIRROR MIRROR - DIANA ROSS (debut) - This song was co-written by Michael Sembello, of "Maniac" fame, and he offered it to the Pointer Sisters, who rejected it since it was, in their words, "a hokey nursery rhyme". I myself was never a huge fan of the song. LDD: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS - I liked most of his Top 40 hits, but this wasn't one of them. I mean, it's tolerable, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. It did fit the dedication, from a kid to his school principal, who believed in him despite all the trouble he got into. 28: YESTERDAY'S SONGS - NEIL DIAMOND (24) - Wow, the easy listening superstars seemed to be nostalgic about oldies in late 1981 (as Barry Manilow had also recently had a Top 40 hit about the same subject matter). Anyway, I loved this song - one of Diamond's best hits ever. Too bad it just barely missed the Top Ten. 27: I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD - RONNIE MILSAP (20) - Another country artist, like Alabama that had several pop crossover hits in the early 1980s. A great song - I wonder how close it came to making the Top 100 of the year? 26: YOUNG TURKS - ROD STEWART (25) - The only song in the survey (excluding instrumentals) that doesn't mention the title in the lyrics (though he does sing young, he never mentions Turks once). This was one of my favorite Rod Stewart hits of the 1980s. I did prefer it over his next Top 40 hit "Tonight I'm Yours", although that song is pretty much Part 2 of this song. 25: THROUGH THE YEARS - KENNY ROGERS (30) - This may not have been one of his biggest chart hits, but it sure became popular in the LDD department! Between now and the last show of 1987, it was requested as a dedication 17 times! I can see why, as it is a great song! 24: LOVE IS ALRIGHT TONIGHT - RICK SPRINGFIELD (26) - Another song with a soundalike (only it was his previous hit, "I've Done Everything For You", instead of the follow-up, as was the case with the Rod Stewart song). Of the two songs, I preferred this one. 23: SHE'S GOT A WAY - BILLY JOEL (23) - One of two Top 40 hits from his live album Songs In The Attic. It was a pretty good song, but definitely not his best. 22: TROUBLE - LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM (9) - "Ah-two, ah-three, a fowah!" Definitely my favorite solo hit from him - not an annoying earworm like "Holiday Road"! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE GOT THE BEAT - THE GO-GO'S - Meh, I was never a big fan of this song at all. Easily my least favorite of their hits. 21: OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY (29) - This song was on its way to becoming one of R&R's biggest hits of the 80s (in fact, with seven weeks at #1, it was THE biggest, until the summer of 1983). The song couldn't seem to top the Billboard chart, but it did spent six weeks in the runner-up position. It used to be one of my favorites from Journey (I even bought the 45), then overplay significantly dimmed my fascination for it, but over the past few years, I've found myself liking it again. 20: YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH ME - SHEENA EASTON (21) - Her success in 1982 didn't quite match up to that of 1981, but she did have two Top 40 hits, and this was by far the biggest of the two - as well as my favorite, and one of my favorites by her overall. 19: SWEET DREAMS - AIR SUPPLY (22) - Definitely one of the biggest new acts of the 1980s (though most of their chart hits were in the early half of the decade). I liked most of their Top 40 hits, but this was one of my least favorites. 18: COME GO WITH ME - BEACH BOYS (19) - This was the song with the shortest playing time to chart in 1982, clocking in at 2:06. I preferred this remake over the original by the Dell Vikings. 17: TAKE IT EASY ON ME - LITTLE RIVER BAND (18) - Their fifth and final Top Ten hit (though they still had two more Top 20s ahead of them). This was one of my favorites from LRB, right up there with "Lady". 16: LEADER OF THE BAND - DAN FOGELBERG (17) - One of Fogelberg's story songs that he's famous for. I never used to like this song very much during its chart run, but it has since grown on me - a great song indeed! 15: SOMEONE COULD LOSE A HEART TONIGHT - EDDIE RABBITT (15) - Wow, 1982 was definitely a great year for country crossovers! Eddie, however, had been charting for several years. This song was good, but one of my least favorite of his hits. 14: WAITING ON A FRIEND - ROLLING STONES (16) - Their second of four Top 40 hits from their album Tattoo You, and my favorite of the four. 13: SHAKE IT UP - THE CARS (14) - After trying for over three years, this band from Boston finally had their first Top Ten hit the following week. In fact, all points totaled, this was possibly the Cars' biggest hit ever. However, for some reason, I never really got into this one. 12: COOL NIGHT - PAUL DAVIS (13) - Surprised that this song missed the Top Ten, as it was played all the time on the stations I listened to back in the day. One of my favorite songs from the late Paul Davis! 11: COMIN' IN AND OUT OF YOUR LIFE - BARBRA STREISAND (12) - This is far better than the other song by Babs on this week's 70s show (a definite "No. Just no"). This one, on the other hand, is one of my favorites from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: 867-5309/JENNY - I wonder if anyone still has this phone number, and if they're still receiving nuisance calls from people asking for Jenny? Hope they have caller ID. Anyway, this was a good song. 10: HOOKED ON CLASSICS - THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (11) - The week before, Casey named each piece heard in the medley as they were played (the other time I can remember was on the year-ender). I liked this song - an interesting medley of classic songs set to disco! 9: THE SWEETEST THING - JUICE NEWTON (10) - 1981-1982 was definitely her heyday, with four Top Ten hits (and another that just barely missed). This is my second favorite of those hits, behind "Break It To Me Gently", which was said near-miss (peaked at #11 - what a shame). 8: LET'S GROOVE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (8) - Earlier, I mentioned how "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder spent nine weeks on top of the Soul chart. This song had recently spent big weeks at #1 on that chart. I never used to like this song, but it's kind of grown on me. 7: TURN YOUR LOVE AROUND - GEORGE BENSON (7) - A great jazz star George was! This wasn't one of my favorites from him, but it's still a good song nonetheless. Casey mentioned how this song was topping the R&B chart this week, unseating Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove" after an impressive eight-week run! 6: LEATHER & LACE - STEVIE NICKS AND DON HENLEY (6) - Her second duet from Bella Donna to hit the charts, following her one with Tom Petty the previous summer. This is my favorite of the two, by a fairly large margin. LDD: HERE I AM (JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OVER YOU) - AIR SUPPLY - This one could be called a guilty pleasure, as many people I know don't like this song at all (some consider it their least favorite Air Supply song). According to me, however, it is one of their best. 5: HARDEN MY HEART - QUARTERFLASH (4) - A song with an instantly recognizable saxophone solo. I liked it, but preferred "Take Me To Heart", which charted the following summer, and also features the saxophone, played by none other than Rindy Ross, who, of course, also sings). 4: PHYSICAL - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (1) - This was the first week since mid-November that this song was not at number one. After ten long weeks on top, this song dropped out of the top spot. I wonder how many people, after hearing this song in the countdown, thought that Foreigner finally made it to #1. Well, that idea was short-lived, as Casey more or less spilled the beans before going into the commercial break. 3: CENTERFOLD - THE J. GEILS BAND (5) - Thus, many people thought that this was the next #1 song after learning that "Physical" had dropped back to #4 and Foreigner hadn't made it, but the song had to wait another week (but it was well worth the wait, as it spent six weeks on top). Anyway, this was by far my favorite song by the J. Geils Band. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TONIGHT I'M YOURS (DON'T HURT ME) - ROD STEWART - Of course, I mentioned this song earlier, when comparing it to his previous hit "Young Turks". And here's something I can't believe I never noticed before - something that at40nut pointed out: The Weeknd's everlasting hit "Blinding Lights" (still on the BB Mainstream Top 40 chart at last check in its 58th week) sounds a lot like both songs as well. 2: WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU - FOREIGNER (2) - While Olivia Newton-John merely tied the record for the longest run at the top, this song continued to break its own record for the longest stay in the runner-up position without hitting #1. It was in its tenth and, as it turned out, final week at #2. The song did, however, hit #1 on the R&R chart - for six weeks, to boot (and "Physical" was one of the songs it edged out of #1). Anyway, this is a good song, but, like several other songs on the chart this week, very overplayed. Is it me or did I notice a rather sloppy edit in this? 1: I CAN'T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO) - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (4) - This song seemed destined to peak at #4, a position it held for five weeks, but this week, it had what it took to loosen Olivia's hammerlock on the top spot, leaping over two other songs in the process (including a song that would give them payback the following week). Anyway, this song was sampled in at least three different songs over the next few decades, so it was apparently very well-liked. I thought it was pretty good, though far from being my favorite song from them.
Coming up next week: Well, we do know that February 14, 1981 is on deck as the "A" show next week. I wonder if the same date (or, more likely, the week before) will be the "B" show. I sort of doubt it, though, as they haven't featured that year yet in 2021 and will probably be playing it later in the month - such is the case with 1988. It won't likely be 1986, for obvious reasons (see my next post). Of course, it could even be 1984 or 1985, both of which were featured just recently as "A" shows. We'll find out soon enough, though.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 28, 2021 16:28:15 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 30, 2021
This week's presentation - January 25, 1986
Droppers: SLEEPING BAG - ZZ TOP (37) - Their Afterburner album seemed to have more of a pop sound than their traditional southern rock. Perhaps that's why it generated more Top 40 singles than any of their other albums. This was the first of three hits from Afterburner, and the most successful. I liked it, but preferred the other two. ELECTION DAY - ARCADIA (35) - Meh, no big loss; pretty much watered-down Duran Duran here. I can see why they didn't last very long. LOVE IS THE SEVENTH WAVE - STING (30) - Sting's first attempt at reggae definitely wasn't a strong point in his career, as this song tanked kinda fast, peaking at #17 over the previous three weeks. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why this song didn't do quite as good as his first two solo hits. PERFECT WAY – SCRITTI POLITTI (25) - One of a handful of one-hit wonders that charted around this time. This song does get a decent amount of recurrent airplay on 80s stations. I thought it was a pretty good song.
40: KING FOR A DAY – THE THOMPSON TWINS (debut) - As we all know, I wasn't a huge fan of "Lay Your Hands On Me", but their second from Heres To Future Days was a good one. Still, I preferred a few others from them. 39: HE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU (LIKE I DO) – FREDDIE JACKSON (debut) - After two slow songs, he went with a mid-tempo song as his third Top 40 hit. I liked this, as well as his first two, about the same. 38: SECRET LOVERS – ATLANTIC STARR (debut) - A song about two people bored with their spouses, so they sneak around to be together. Sounds like a typical situation for the Jerry Springer show. Anyway, it's a good song nevertheless. 37: DIGITAL DISPLAY – READY FOR THE WORLD (debut) - This song was apparently a huge seller, as it peaked at #21 on the Hot 100, but didn't quite make the R&R chart. I preferred this one over the overplayed "Oh Sheila", but it wasn't quite as good as "Love You Down", which would chart a year later. 36: BROKEN WINGS – MR. MISTER (21) - The first of four Top 40 hits for this band from Phoenix. Three of those songs hit the Top Ten and two of those hit #1, including this one. Their other #1 is also on this week's chart, coming up later. Of their Top Ten hits, I prefer this one, which has held up quite well despite overplay. 35: EVERYBODY DANCE – TA MARA & THE SEEN (24) - Typical mid-80s dance music, but I actually rather like this one. 34: TARZAN BOY - BALTIMORA (38) - This song charted twice - once in 1986 and again in 1993, thanks to its inclusion in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III movie (and it was also used in promos for Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash around that time). It was a good song. 33: SEX AS A WEAPON – PAT BENATAR (28) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou, although I myself thought this song was OK, but definitely not one of her best. Too bad Benatar's hit streak would be ending two years later, with one last Top 40 hit after this one. 32: THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV – A-HA (36) - Often referred to as a one-hit wonder, this Norwegian band actually did have a follow-up. I preferred "Take On Me", but this was a good one as well. 31: EVERYTHING IN MY HEART – COREY HART (34) - This song reminded me a lot of "Never Surrender". I preferred that song slightly, but this is a great one as well - definitely deserved a higher peak than #30, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SANCTIFY YOURSELF - SIMPLE MINDS - This was my favorite song in the world back in the spring of 1986. Their last two hits had been mediocre IMO (though I like both of them better now), but there was just something about this song that I really liked. Too bad this one didn't quite make the Top Ten like their first two hits, but it did peak at #14, so that's not bad. They played the single version this week, that had shorter instrumental lead-ins, which was one of my favorite parts of the song, so I preferred the album version (which I believe AT40 did occasionally play). 30: SILENT RUNNING – MIKE & THE MECHANICS (40) - This was their first Top 40 single, but such was not the case with the lead singer Paul Carrack, who had charted as the lead singer of groups like Ace and Squeeze, and as a solo artist as well. I liked this song, but preferred their next two singles, both of which charted later in 1986. 29: SARA - STARSHIP (39) - It's good to hear this song every now and again, but back in the spring of 1986, this song was way overplayed and I, along with my Dad and older brother, was sick of hearing it no less than once every hour, or so it seemed. 28: SEPARATE LIVES (LOVE THEME FROM WHITE NIGHTS) – PHIL COLLINS/MARILYN MARTIN (19) - Of the six movie songs on the countdown, two of them are from White Nights. The first of them is the love theme from that film, which I never saw, but I heard this song many, many times in the fall of 1985. It was a great one! 27: FACE THE FACE – PETE TOWNSEND (26) - This former member of The Who, whom disbanded in 1983, had two solo Top 40 hits. His first one, "Let My Love Open The Door", was a Top Ten hit in 1980. This one didn't quite match the success of that one, peaking at #26 this week. I liked this one, but preferred the other solo hit. 26: A LOVE BIZARRE – SHEILA E. (31) - I'm not generally a huge fan of hers, though I did like her underrated "The Belle Of St. Mark", from late 1984. 25: LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN – THE DREAM ACADEMY (33) - This song indeed had a northern town feel to it, especially with the wind sound effects. Indeed, my favorite of their two Top 40 hits. 24: YOU’RE A FRIEND OF MINE – CLARENCE CLEMONS AND JACKSON BROWNE (18) - One of two friendship anthems on this week's chart - the other one is coming up a little bit later. This definitely has the typical E Street Band sound, with Clarence's saxophone. It's a good song indeed. 23: LIVING IN AMERICA – JAMES BROWN (32) - Brown's first Top 40 hit in over a decade, and several weeks later, this song would set a record of longest span between Top Ten hits (The record has since been broken, possibly by Paul McCartney, who is coming up later in the countdown). Anyway, this song was so/so, but I was never a huge James Brown fan. 22: THE SWEETEST TABOO – SADE (27) - Their second and final Top Ten hit, though they would chart a few more times. Of their Top Ten hits, I preferred "Smooth Operator", but this one was pretty good as well. LDD: FOREVER – KENNY LOGGINS - Definitely one of the most underrated songs of the 80s! The song didn't get any higher than #40, which was a shame, since it was definitely one of his best songs ever, IMO! The song, however, spent an unusually long time on the Hot 100 - 22 weeks, so it might have been one of those songs that stations were late to add. Had the stations reported the song on their charts at the same time, it might have gone further. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MANIC MONDAY - THE BANGLES - Their breakthrough hit was starting its climb on the Hot 100, en route to #2 (edged out of #1 by a song by the artist who wrote this one). This was one of my favorite songs from them, which is more than I can say for their song that hit #1 at the end of the year. 21: KYRIE – MR. MISTER (29) - Their second number one song in a row - and, just like that song, it spent two weeks at #1. That said, it definitely looked like Mr. Mister would become one of the biggest new acts of the 1980s. Unfortunately, that was not to be; after another Top Ten hit in June and a mid-charter a year later, they would never hit the chart again. Anyway, I thought this song was pretty good, but, as stated earlier, I preferred their first #1 "Broken Wings". 20: SIDEWALK TALK - JELLYBEAN (22) - This one wasn't quite my cup of tea. I preferred Jellybean's other Top 40 hit featuring Elisa Fiorello on the vocals, "Who Found Who". 19: GOODBYE – NIGHT RANGER (20) - I often say that "Sister Christian" is my favorite Night Ranger song, but I always forget how much I liked their 7 Wishes singles. This was my favorite of those (in fact, it was #1 on my Personal Top 30 for many weeks). Too bad it didn't get any higher than #17 on the Hot 100, but that's better than missing the Top 40 completely. 18: IT’S ONLY LOVE – BRYAN ADAMS/TINA TURNER (15) - Bryan Adams had six Top 40 hits from the Reckless album and, for the final one, he teamed up with a singer he'd admired as a teenager. I figured that, with such a team, the song would be a Top Ten hit, but this was all the higher it got (since Reckless had been out for a year, most fans had the album, which usually resulted in low singles sales for the last few hits). 17: HOW WILL I KNOW – WHITNEY HOUSTON (23) - Whitney had a great 1985, with two Top Five hits (including a #1) and was off to a good start for 1986 by making one of the biggest jumps on the chart this week with a song that was on its way to becoming her second #1 song. It was an OK song, but I preferred her next hit, which would also hit #1. 16: CONGA – THE MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (17) - Their debut hit became their first Top Ten (despite its initially slow climb). It was OK, but I preferred many other songs from both MSM and Gloria Estefan as a solo artist. 15: TONIGHT SHE COMES – THE CARS (10) - Meh, I never was a fan of this song. Not sure how the song would be received today, given the title. 14: SMALL TOWN – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (6) - One of many Top Ten singles for this Hoosier, though not one of my favorites from him. It is passable, though. 13: GO HOME – STEVIE WONDER (14) - Wonder had been hitting the charts since the early sixties and, with two Top Ten hits from In Square Circle, it looked like he was far from over but, unfortunately, this was his final Top Ten hits, and he had three more Top 40 hits after that (four, if you count his vocals on Babyface's "How Come, How Long". I liked this song, but preferred his next hit "Overjoyed". 12: ALIVE & KICKING – SIMPLE MINDS (4) - I preferred this song over the overplayed "Don't You (Forget About Me)", but the follow-up to this, "Sanctify Yourself" was my favorite song in the world for quite awhile the following spring. This was a good song, too IMO. Given how big a hit it was, I'm surprised it doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay. 11: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING – BILLY OCEAN (16) - Another movie hit on this week's countdown. The theme from the Michael Douglas film Jewel Of The Nile, this was my favorite Billy Ocean song back during its chart run, but I've since heard many other songs that I prefer, most of them ballads. It's still a good song, though. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THESE DREAMS - HEART - A high point for our friend JessieLou! Oddly enough, while Ann Wilson had generally sung lead, Nancy was given a turn at the lead vocals and this one went all the way to the top (they would have another #1 hit, and that would be with Ann singing lead). Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs from them (as is their other #1 hit "Alone"). 10: SPIES LIKE US – PAUL McCARTNEY (13) - Paul went for almost 30 years without having a Top Ten hit. This was the final one before the drought. He would return in early 2015 as a featured singer on Kanye West's "FourFiveSeconds". I believe that might be the record, but I'm not totally sure. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred other songs from him, solo and with the Beatles and Wings. 9: PARTY ALL THE TIME – EDDIE MURPHY (3) - Not a bad song, but Murphy was much better as a comedian than as a singer, IMO. 8: I MISS YOU – KLYMAXX (5) - This song definitely got a lot of chart mileage - so much that it placed on 1986's year-end Top 100 higher than it peaked on the weekly charts. It's a great song, though I preferred their other two Top 40 hits. LDD: DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ - JOURNEY - We got a double-dose of this song on the 80s shows - first as the lead-off song on the 1982 show and as a LDD on this one (only difference is, the second verse was edited out here, while IIRC, it was played in full on the "A" show). 7: WALK OF LIFE – DIRE STRAITS (9) - They had been a one hit wonder until earlier this year when they charted with their biggest hit "Money For Nothing". This was their third hit and, like the first two, it was a Top Ten hit. It was a good song, IMO. 6: MY HOMETOWN – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (11) - The seventh and final song from Born In The USA album - and all seven songs reached the Top Ten, tying the record with Michael Jackson's Thriller as the album that spawned the most Top Ten hits. This was possibly my favorite song from the album, though "I'm On Fire" and "Glory Days" were very close behind. 5: I’M YOUR MAN - WHAM (12) - As this song was racing up the chart, en route to #3, little did we know that Wham! would soon be splitting up. No matter; lead singer George Michael would go on to have an even more successful solo career. As for this song, it's a good one, but I prefer others from Wham! as well as George Michael solo. 4: TALK TO ME – STEVIE NICKS (7) - One of her most successful solo hits. I liked this song, but preferred her next release "I Can't Wait". 3: BURNING HEART - SURVIVOR (8) - This song had an unusually long run on the R&R chart - it was the first song since the fall of 1984 to spend more than fifteen weeks on the chart. It spent 16 weeks on both R&R and AT40. Of their Rocky soundtrack hits, it would be my favorite. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX - The only chart hit for this short-lived duo from Cincinnati. This song had actually been released a year earlier, but didn't really go anywhere. Their decision to re-release it in 1986 proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, IMO. 2: SAY YOU, SAY ME – LIONEL RICHIE (2) - This was the other White Nights song on the chart (and it came close to succeeding the first at #1). I liked this song, but preferred the other one. 1: THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR – DIONNE & FRIENDS (1) - Dionne seemed to only be able to hit #1 as part of a collaboration and never on her own. Her first #1 song was her song with the Spinners, "Then Came You" in the fall of 1974. More than a decade later, with help from her friends Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & Elton John, she hit #1 again with her biggest hit ever, as this song spent four weeks on top. In fact, as we all know, this song came out on top for all of 1986, and deservedly so, as this was a great song!
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