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Post by dukelightning on Feb 1, 2021 10:57:23 GMT -5
^Thanks! Upon reading some of those posts you referred to, I wondered about Foreigner on the R&R chart. "Waiting" was the only single from 4 that did better on R&R than Billboard. "Urgent" only reached #9 versus a #4 Hot 100 peak whereas neither "Juke Box Hero" nor "Break it Up" made the R&R chart which I think at the time was only 30 positions. Strange that stations would largely ignore those 2 songs from such a well known group.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 5, 2021 13:51:24 GMT -5
American Top 40 - February 6, 2021
This week's presentation - February 4, 1978
40: ALWAYS AND FOREVER - HEATWAVE (debut) - One of the best love songs of all time, and by far my favorite of their three hits (the other two, of course, were disco songs that sounded very much alike). 39: FALLING - LEBLANC & CARR (debut) - And here's another great love song! Too bad it was their only hit. The song peaked at #13, but spent over a half a year on the Hot 100, an unusually long term for a song that never hit the Top Ten, so I'm guessing that this was a song that many radio stations were slow to add. Anyway, I liked this song a lot. 38: THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO - RITA COOLIDGE (debut) - Third Single Syndrome definitely applied here, as this song only got as high as #20, after the first two songs from her Anytime...Anywhere album hit the Top Ten. I actually preferred said first two hits, but this was a great rendition of this oldie by the Temptations. 37: I LOVE YOU - DONNA SUMMER (40) - Definitely one of her less successful hits here. “Last Dance” sounds a lot like this. I wonder why this one only got as high as #37, especially since the disco era was in full swing at this point. 36: EASY TO LOVE - LEO SAYER (36) - I generally like his songs, but in this one, his voice was kind of grating. It was OK, but I can see why this song didn’t do any better than it did. 35: NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA (39) - I just heard this song yesterday as a Long Distance Dedication on the 1981 show. I tell you, I really liked many songs from Abba, but this wasn't one of them. One of my least favorite songs from them. 34: STREETCORNER SERENADE - WET WILLIE (38) - This sounds a little like something Sweet would do. It was a good song IMO. 33: THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON (37) - The first of two Top 40 hits by this man from the San Ferdinando Valley. I'm sure I've heard his other hit, "Shakedown Cruise" before, but wtf did it sound like again? This was a good song that I vaguely remember hearing back in the day. 32: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE (22) - Amazing that, with all the records this song set, it was her sole Top 40 hit. This song, which was spending its 21st and final week in the Top 40, was definitely a guilty pleasure of mine - as cheesy as it is, I just can't help but love the song! 31: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (34) - They had yet to hit the Top Ten, but they would do just that later in the year with their hit "Reminiscing". I generally liked their songs, but for some reason, this song, their third Top 40 hit, never really did anything for me. Definitely one of my least favorites from them. 30: LOVELY DAY - BILL WITHERS (32) - This was his last Top 40 hit on his own - the next time he would be in the countdown was three years later as the featured singer on Grover Washington, Jr's "Just The Two Of Us". I thought that this was one of Withers' best Top 40 hits - IIRC, at one time, the song held the record for the longest held note on a Top 40 hit - a record that was beaten nearly two years later by Donna Summer. 29: THEME FROM CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - MECO (33) - The first of two versions of this song on the chart, which was the second time that this happened with the two artists involved. The first time was in 1977, when John Williams & The London Symphony Orchestra was charting with the original theme from Star Wars at the same time as Meco was charting with his disco rendition. The latter more or less stole the thunder from the former, as it went to #1. This time around, the tables were turned, as this song would peak at #25 two weeks later, while John Williams would continue on up the chart, en route to #13. I preferred this version, but both versions were pretty good, IMO. EXTRA: THE WAY WE WERE - BARBRA STREISAND - This song was played as the First Optional Extra (played right after the #28 song, so not too removed from its original placing in the countdown). Like the Debby Boone song above, this is another guilty pleasure. I prefer a few others from her, but I really like this one as well, and am glad it came out on top for the entire year. 28: LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON (debut) - It was clear that this was going to be a big hit, as it made the highest debut of the year so far (and the folliwng week would take the biggest jump within the Top 40). This was one of several Clapton songs featuring Marcy Levy (the co-writer of this song) on backup vocals. It was a good song, though I prefer several other songs by him. But hey, as long as it isn’t the grossly overplayed “Change The World” or "Tears In Heaven"... 27: FUN - CON FUNK SHUN (30) - Meh, pretty much your typical late-70s R&B disco, and I think we all know all too well my general opinion on that... 26: TOO HOT TO TROT - COMMODORES (29) - I have pointed out that their music began to improve with 1977's "Easy", but I still wasn't much for their funk/soul hits, like this one. I prefer their more "laid-back" songs. 25: HERE YOU COME AGAIN - DOLLY PARTON (13) - Chiefly a country act, Parton did have a few crossover hits and this was the first of them. It's definitely one of my favorite songs from her, as well as one of my favorite songs of the entire year (was #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart for four weeks). 24: NATIVE NEW YORKER - ODYSSEY (26) - The only Top 40 hit for this New York soul-disco trio. It was actually pretty good - reminded me a little of the Bee Gees. 23: LONG, LONG WAY FROM HOME - FOREIGNER (27) - A case of Third Single Syndrome here - after two Top Ten hits from their debut album, this one only got as high as #20. It was pretty good, but I preferred said two Top Ten hits. 22: THEME FROM CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - JOHN WILLIAMS (24) - See my comment for song #29. 21: WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD (23) - A great classic rock group here! This one, as well as most of their others, gets tons of recurrent airplay on classic rock stations today. This was one of my favorites from them. 20: PEG - STEELY DAN (28) - They did an odd hack job with this song, by cutting out the first chorus, but no verses. Anyway, this was one of my favorite songs from them of all time! 19: DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD - SANTA ESMERALDA (21) - An interesting disco rendition of the classic by the Animals (with sort of a Spanish flavor). Coincidentally, both songs peaked at #15 on the Hot 100. Not sure which version I prefer. 18: COME SAIL AWAY - STYX (8) - This song sure took its sweet time to reach its peak of #8, but it wasted no time whatsoever dropping from the chart, as it would fall out of the Top 40 the following week. Of course, the single version of this song was cut down more than necessary, IMO. Of all three versions I've heard, I like the one that's about four minutes long; the only thing cut from that part is the bridge, with the weird spacey sound effects. 17: DESIREE - NEIL DIAMOND (19) - This may not been one of his biggest hits, but it holds the distinction of being the very first Long Distance Dedication song on AT40. It was a pretty good song - reminds me a little of another one of his songs, but I can't remember which one. 16: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS (18) - As this song continued to take baby steps up the chart, who knew that it would end up setting the record for the longest chart run on the Hot 100? 15: SLIP SLIDIN' AWAY - PAUL SIMON (5) - Like the Styx song, this song also dropped out of the countdown just two weeks after peaking! This song was his fifth Top Ten solo single (yes, I thought he'd had more than that up to this point as well). His next Top 40 solo entry would be "Late In The Evening", in 1980. I liked both songs about the same, but preferred a few others from him. 14: SERPENTINE FIRE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (16) - Their first of three hits from 1978 (four, if you count "September" which debuted when the year was practically over with). The song was OK, but definitely not their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN - One of several cover versions that VH released. I'm not sure if I like this or the original by the Kinks better (in the latter, it sounds like they’re singing, “You Really Got Mad”.) Both of them are so/so IMO, but I prefer many other hits by both bands. 13: TURN TO STONE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (14) - They had a ton of hits in the 1970s, including this one, which peaked at #13 this week (but made it all the way to #5 on the R&R charts). This is one I remember quite well from back in the day, though for some reason, I associated it more with summer than winter. It is one of my favorite songs from them. 12: HEY DEANIE - SHAUN CASSIDY (12) - The third Top 40 hit for this teen heartthrob that almost all teens and preteens (including a girl in my kindergarten class at the time) were crazy about back in the day. I preferred his two other Top 40 hits, but this was a good one as well. 11: DANCE DANCE DANCE - CHIC (18) - Meh, not a fan of this one - quite repetitive. I preferred other songs from them, especially "I Want Your Love" from the following year. 10: EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG (17) - This was her only Top 40 hit, and I have a feeling that the fact that the Bee Gees had a hand in this one (especially Barry Gibb's backing vocal) was instrumental in how well it did. It was a good song. 9: YOU'RE IN MY HEART - ROD STEWART (4) - Wow, here's something that I didn't know - up to now, Rod Stewart's charted songs either hit #1 or missed the Top Ten entirely. This was the song that broke the streak, as it peaked at #4 over the last three weeks. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorites both back in the day and now. As is usually the case, they edited this one, jumping from the first verse to the second chorus. Truly, a four-hour show was called for a few years before it finally became a reality, which, of course, was later on in the year. 8: SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH - DAN HILL (11) - This man seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, a title he held for nearly ten years, but the day was saved in the late summer of 1987, when his duet with Vonda Shepard "Can't We Try" came along and broke the curse. I preferred that song, as well as a few other Dan Hill songs, over this one, but it still is a good one. 7: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES (7) - This, as you may have guessed, was my favorite of the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever hits. Though its run at #1 was done, its Top Ten run was far from over - it wouldn't fall out until mid-March. The song, I believe, set the record for most weeks in the Top Ten, and deservedly so, as it was indeed a great song! 6: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL (9) - This was when Joel's chart career broke wide open, with three Top 20 hits from The Stranger. The other one, "Only The Good Die Young" might have also made the Top 20 had it not been for the lyric problems in that song. This was the biggest hit from the album, peaking at #3. It was indeed a great song! EXTRA: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS - This song was played as the final Optional extra and it featured an oft-told story about how Lou Rawls suffered total amnesia due to a car wreck in which he was involved, and how all it took was a Sam Cooke concert for everything to come back to him all at once. Not sure why they didn't hold off on the story until Rawls latest hit "Lady Love" debuted in the countdown. Perhaps they weren't sure if it would make it. Anyway, this song just missed hitting #1, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever. 5: LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB (10) - Wow, the Gibbs were indeed a force to be reckoned with on this show, as they were involved with four songs in this week's Top Ten, and three of those would end up being #1 hits, this one included. I liked it, but it didn't hold a candle to "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", his best hit ever, IMO! 4: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN (6) - By now, many radio stations were playing "We Will Rock You" with this one. In fact, I'm fairly sure every radio station I listened to were playing both songs and never one or the other. Of course, I prefer this one - one of my all-time favorites by Queen! 3: BABY COME BACK - PLAYER (1) - This was pretty much the only song for the first four and a half months of 1978 not connected with the Gibb family or the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that managed to hit #1 (It was on the RSO label, though, so that may have helped). 2: SHORT PEOPLE - RANDY NEWMAN (2) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that this song's meaning was misinterpreted, with many people thinking that it was poking fun at people who were short, but at the bridge, he says that short people are just the same as everyone else. I thought it was a great song. 1: STAYIN' ALIVE - BEE GEES (3) - With four songs in the Top Ten written by the Bee Gees, it should come as no surprise that one of them was at the top. This was their second of three #1 songs from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (the third of which would debut on the countdown the following week), and my second favorite of those.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 5, 2021 13:51:34 GMT -5
American Top 40 - February 6, 2021
This week's presentation - February 14, 1981
Glad they finally dusted this one off and played it for the first time in 12 years. As I recall, this was one of the last shows in 2009 before I began regularly posting commentaries here. I actually used to have a copy of this show, but have since traded it. I'm sure that as I listen to this, memories of taking a leisurely drive around Starke/Marshall/Elkhart counties while listening to this show back on July 10, 2002 will come back to me!
LW#1: CELEBRATION – KOOL & THE GANG - If my memory serves me correctly, this was the first time since the Top 3 recap started in 1979 that they didn't play the entire Top 3 of the previous week, as songs were starting to get longer at this point. 40: (GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY - THE OUTLAWS (debut) - This was a remake of a late 1940s song originally done by Vaughn Monroe. I remember the good old days, back in elementary school, of “ghost riding” on my bike (getting off my bike when it was still rolling). I pissed off a lot of drivers that way! As for the song, it was a good one - nicely updated so as not to sound too out of place for the early-1980s. 39: BACK IN BLACK - AC/DC (40) - This Australian heavy metal band only had three Top 40 hits, but that's because they were generally an album rock act. Many of their songs played as AOR album cuts are known to many people. This song only got as high as #37, but is widely known because it is an AOR staple. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred "You Shook Me All Night Long" from the previous fall. 38: LIVING IN A FANTASY - LEO SAYER (debut) - The final Top 40 hit for this Shoreham, England native. The song was pretty good, but I preferred several others from him. 37: DE DO DO DO, DE DA DA DA DA - THE POLICE (34) - Don't like this one - if this was all that someone had to say to me, I'd be out the door. I actually prefer their grossly overplayed 1983 hit over this one. 36: WHAT KIND OF FOOL - BARBRA STREISAND & BARRY GIBB (debut) - As I've mentioned many times, this was by far my favorite of their two duets. I liked how the other Bee Gees sing back-up throughout the song, especially during the final choruses. 35: AH! LEAH! - DONNIE IRIS (38) - Wow, this song's title is a homophone for Aaliyah (Haughton), the R&B singer who had a handful of Top 40 hits before her untimely death in 2001 (plus, there's a teenager by that name that used to be a regular at the library at which I work). As for the song, it was pretty good, but I preferred "Love Is Like A Rock", which hit the Top 40 the following year. 34: KILLIN' TIME - FRED KNOBLOCK AND SUSAN ANTON (28) - Knoblock's best song IMO will always be "Why Not Me", but this would definitely be a close second - both songs were great! 33: KISS ON MY LIST - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - 1981 was definitely a great year for this successful duo, as they had two #1 hits (including this one), as well as two Top Five hits, one of which went on to hit #1 in early 1982. Of those four songs, this was definitely my favorite. 32: RAPTURE - BLONDIE (debut) - They were definitely a hot item in the early 1980s - had the top song of 1980, and two #1 songs in early 1981. This was the second of those two, and definitely my favorite! 31: TIME IS TIME - ANDY GIBB (31) - Wow, this song actually managed to stay in place despite a hard fall the week before! If not for that, it probably would not have made the year-ender. Anyway, this is the song that ended his streak of Top Ten hits (of course, the streak wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway, because he only had one more Top 40 hit after this, and it barely even made the chart). The song was OK, but I preferred a few others from him, especially "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "An Everlasting Love". ARCHIVES: HELLO DOLLY – LOUIS ARMSTROMG - This song sounded rather out of place even for 1964, never mind 1981. Perhaps that's why WRVF (The River) edited this song out of the broadcast back when this show was first run on the series back in 2009. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GUITAR MAN - ELVIS PRESLEY - Presley's third posthumous Top 40 hit. Not one of my favorite songs from him by any means, but it was okies. 30: HEARTS ON FIRE - RANDY MEISNER (37) - After leaving the Eagles in 1977 and trying to have fun in retirement for several months, Randy got a solo career going. His first solo album didn't fare well at all, but his second one yielded two Top 40 hits. This one was the second and slightly more successful of those, peaking at #19 in March. It was a great song, IMO, and one I've heard many a time on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD, though I still haven't figured out who that is singing back-up. 29: I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN - BARRY MANILOW (26) - It seems that, more often than not, this one was edited by cutting out the second verse and combining the first and second chorus (you could hear the drum kick in at the second line in the chorus), which is too bad, since I thought this was a great song! One of my favorites from the man whose wardrobe seems to be constantly raided by Principal Vernon. LDD: FREE BIRD – LYNYRD SKYNYRD - This was a very touching dedication from a girl whose older sister who had helped her out a lot when she needed advice, moved away to college. Anyway, the song is OK, but I'm not a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan. This song, however, beats the Will To Power remake any day. 28: GUILTY - BARBRA STREISAND & BARRY GIBB (22) - This, of course, was their first of two duets to chart in 1981. Though I preferred the other song by a sizeable margin, this one was a good song as well. 27: LOVE ON THE ROCKS - NEIL DIAMOND (15) - Had it not been for the death of John Lennon, this song just might have hit #1. It did, however, sneak in a week on top of the R&R chart, though, which is good, because it was a great song. 26: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (29) - This was their last Top 40 hit before Eric Woolfson took over as lead singer. On this one, Lenny Zakatek provided the lead vocals. I thought it was a pretty decent song, though I generally preferred the Woolfson-lead songs. 25: SMOKEY MOUNTAIN RAIN - RONNIE MILSAP (27) - Milsap was hot on the country chart, but up to now, he'd been a one-hit wonder at Top 40 radio. But things were starting to happen for him there at this point, as he'd have a handful of Top 40 hits, including a Top Ten, which was his next release. As for this song, it was a good one, though I preferred a few others from him. 24: TREAT ME RIGHT - PAT BENATAR (30) - Benatar had just come off with her first Top Ten hit "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and now she herself was taking her best shot at making this her second Top Ten. Unfortunately, that was not to be, but this song did hit the Top 20, peaking at #18. This was a great song - one of my favorite Pat Benatar songs ever! 23: A LITTLE IN LOVE - CLIFF RICHARD (24) - He'd been on the chart in two forms earlier in the year - in a duet with Olivia Newton-John and on this song as a solo artist. Said duet fell off the survey the week before, but this song was still on its way up. It would peak at #17, but fared much better on the R&R chart, peaking at #5. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from Cliff Richard. 22: HEARTBREAK HOTEL - THE JACKSONS (23) - Not a "Hot Elvis Remake" - it was actually an original song. Though I'm not generally a fan of their later hits, this one was actually pretty good. 21: SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD - THE EAGLES (21) - Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this their only live recording to hit the chart (before the Hell Freezes over album, that is)? I never used to like this song, but now I think it's a great one. They sort of sound like they're sitting around a campfire singing this one. ARCHIVES: MY GUY – MARY WELLS - Written by Smokey Robinson, this was Wells' biggest hit ever, hitting #1 for a pair of weeks in May, 1964. I thought it was a good song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S A LOVE THING - THE WHISPERS - They had six songs that peaked in the lower half of the Hot 100 before finally hitting the Top 40 the year before. This was their third Top 40 hit. Their next Top 40 hit would be their biggest, getting as high as #7 in the late summer of 1987. 20: HELLO AGAIN - NEIL DIAMOND (25) - This song debuted on the entire the Hot 100 way up at #32 two weeks before (the very same position that "Love On The Rocks" had debuted two months earlier). This song, Neil's second of three hits from the Jazz Singer, would go on to peak at #6 in late March. I liked all three of the Jazz Singer singles, but my favorite was the other one in this week's countdown. 19: TOGETHER – TIERRA (19) - This was pretty much your run-of-the-mill early 80's slow jam. I liked it. 18: IT'S MY TURN - DIANA ROSS (9) - Of her three late 1980/early 1981 songs, this would be my favorite song by far. A great song - very theatrical sounding! 17: CRYING - DON McLEAN (20) - You could definitely tell that this was a Roy Orbison song (as it sounded a great deal like "Blue Bayou"). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by McLean, right up there with "American Pie" and "Vincent". 16: I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT – STEVIE WONDER (18) - This song had sort of a jazz flavor to it. It's a good one, but I slightly preferred his previous song, "Master Blaster", which had just recently left the chart. 15: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL - ABBA (16) - This, sadly, would be their final Top Ten hit. It, along with "Dancing Queen" (which we heard on this week's 70s "B" show) were my two favorites from them. 14: MISS SUN - BOZ SCAGGS (14) - He'd had a great year in 1980, with three Top 20 hits, all of which I liked. This song, IMO, beat all of those, though it still doesn't quite hold a candle to "Lido Shuffle". 13: EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD - AIR SUPPLY (7) - As we all know, Air Supply had a streak of eight consecutive Top Five hits, but this song came close to interrupting the streak, as it was stuck at #6 for a five weeks but it managed to just barely climb a spot higher two weeks prior. Though definitely not one of my favorites from them, it was still a good song. 12: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX (17) - It was their first of two Top 40 hits from Styx' Paradise Theater album, as well as my favorite of those two (though I do like the other one, "Too Much Time On My Hands" more than I had previously). Both are great songs! 11: SAME OLD LANG SYNE - DAN FOGELBERG (12) - This song used to be played on the radio at any time of year, but now, it seems to be limited to the Christmas season, just because it mentions Christmas Eve at the beginning. This song, of course, tells the story about a chance meeting with an old flame on Christmas Eve, 1975. A great song, like most of Fogelberg's hits. ARCHIVES: LOVE ME DO – THE BEATLES - One of many, many #1 hits by the Beatles. However, it's one of my least favorites from them for some reason (though John Lennon's harmonica work in the song is very good!) OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME - THE POLICE - Their first Top Ten ever was spending its final week in the Top 40, but this song was poised to replace it the following week. This song would match its peak position of #10 in April. Of their three big 1981 hits, this one was definitely my favorite. 10: HEY NINETEEN - STEELY DAN (11) - One of their last big hits before going their separate ways later in 1981. It's a good song, but I preferred many of their 1970s hits, particularly the ones on the Aja album. 9: GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE - DELBERT McCLINTON (10) - For some reason, I never was a huge fan of this song. LDD: THE NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA - I really liked many songs from Abba, but this wasn't one of them. One of my least favorite songs from them. This song is also on this week's 1978 show. 8: KEEP ON LOVING YOU - REO SPEEDWAGON (13) - I believe this would be considered their biggest hit ever. "Can't Fight This Feeling" may have spent two more weeks on top, but this song had more staying power - it spent two more weeks in the Top 40 than that song spent on the Hot 100. This was a song I definitely remember from its chart run, and I never got tired of it - a great power ballad indeed! 7: (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER - JOHN LENNON (6) - This song had recently spent five weeks at #1, becoming Lennon's most successful solo hit. Too bad he didn't live long enough to know that. This was definitely a worthy #1 song, as it's one of his best songs ever IMO. 6: WOMAN - JOHN LENNON (8) - Wow, he's back-to-back on the chart this week! This song was on its way to #2 on the Hot 100 (and would spend a month at #1 on the R&R chart). This was technically Lennon's first posthumous hit, as "Starting Over" had been released before Lennon's untimely death. It is my second favorite song from Double Fantasy behind the song right before it. 5: PASSION - ROD STEWART (5) - I've mentioned that Rick Springfield seemed to have pairs of songs that sound alike. Rod Stewart has a few of those as well - this one's "counterpart" would be his summer, 1984 hit "Infatuation". I prefer this one, however. This was the first time I heard the line "even the president needs passion" since Biden was sworn in. 4: THE TIDE IS HIGH - BLONDIE (2) - This song was not bad, but definitely not my favorite from them. I preferred their next hit, "Rapture" (which we heard back at #32) by a fair margin. 3: I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT - EDDIE RABBITT (3) - This song was two weeks away from becoming Rabbitt's biggest hit ever, spending a pair of weeks at #1, and deservedly so, as it was one of his best songs IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORNING TRAIN (NINE TO FIVE) - SHEENA EASTON - 2: 9 TO 5 - DOLLY PARTON (4) - Before going into the Eddie Rabbitt song, Casey mentioned that there were two country crossover songs in the Top Three. Neither of them were number one this week, but both would hit the top before the end of February. It was a great song - one of my favorites from her, but I preferred her first Top Ten hit "Here You Come Again", from three years before. 1: CELEBRATION - KOOL & THE GANG (1) - I remember this song quite well - aside from radio airplay, it got a lot of play on juke boxes, such as the one at Pizza Hut, a place that my dad would take my brother and me to every Sunday for dinner back in 1981.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 5, 2021 13:51:47 GMT -5
American Top 40 - February 6, 2021
This week's presentation - February 14, 1987
Droppers: NOTORIOUS - DURAN DURAN (38) - Their only big hit from the album of the same name, which showed that, like Toto, Duran Duran had pretty much already had their day in the sun (although they did make a decent comeback in 1993). IS THIS LOVE - SURVIVOR (34) - This song marked Survivor's last week in the Top 40, as this was their final Top 40 hit. I liked it, but preferred many others from them (including at least two that didn't quite make the Top 40). WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN – THE BANGLES (30) - I think we all know how much I detest this song, right? Needless to say, I was glad that this dropped out this week. VICTORY – KOOL & THE GANG (29) - I heard that the students at Boston Middle School did modern dance to this song in late 1986. I'll betcha they'd had it with this song by the time that unit was over with!
40: JIMMY LEE - ARETHA FRANKLIN (28) - Jimmy Lee, he took a pee, right on my knee - oh wait, that's not the same song. Anyway, this song was pretty good. It started out strong, debuting at #33, but hit a brick wall soon after. It might have done a little better had it been released ten years before, because it had sort of a retro sound to it. 39: LET'S GO - WANG CHUNG (debut) - After having their first Top Ten hit (getting ever so close to #1), they were gearing up for their second. I preferred this song, though over the past few years, I've learned to like said first Top Ten hit (the one about wanking John) better than previously. 38: WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - TOTO (40) - This was their second hit from their Fahrenheit album, but it didn't come anywhere near the success of the first single, "I'll Be Over You". This is actually the higher that this song got (it would fall out the following week), but they'd definitely already had their day in the sun (as they would have only one Top 40 hit after this). The guitar work near the end reminds me of Jonathan Cain, but he's not listed anywhere in the album credits. 37: CAUGHT UP IN THE RAPTURE - ANITA BAKER (39) - Another case in where the second hit from an album peaked low (#37 in this case) after a successful first single. And, like the above song, it left the chart after only two weeks on. The only difference is "Sweet Love" hit the Top Ten, while "I'll Be Over You" peaked at #13. I have Baker's Rapture album (I sometimes listen to it when I'm out driving) and like all eight songs on it, even the album cuts. 36: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (debut) - I liked most of their hits, but this wasn't one of them! Definitely my least favorite single from the Exposure album. My favorite was the next release, which was a big summer hit. 35: NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (debut) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I saw in the theater a few months later. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough". 34: CANDY - CAMEO (debut) - I was never a big fan of them, though this song wasn't too bad. I liked Casey’s run-down of the Top Ten candies items of 1986. Indeed, I got most of these in my trick-or-treat bag every single year, and usually got about five Snickers. TOP 10 CANDIES OF 1986: Butterfinger Wrigley’s Double Mint Twix caramel Milky Way Hershey’s almond Kit Kat M&M plain M&M peanut Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Snickers 33: FACTS OF LOVE - JEFF LORBER FEATURING KAREN WHITE (37) - The only Top 40 hit for Lorber, but such was not the case with Karyn White, as she'd have a very successful solo career in the late 1980s, as well as early 90s. This song only got as high as #27, which rather surprised me, as it was a typical mid/late-80s dance song. I wonder if it would have done better if released around 1989 or 1990, after Karyn White became an established artist. 32: THIS IS THE TIME - BILLY JOEL (20) - His third and final Top 40 hit from The Bridge. It was by far my favorite of the three. I seem to recall that, more often than not, this one was edited (or maybe I just noticed it more since I liked the song so much). Fortunately, it was played in full this week (which is good, because this was the song's final week in the countdown. LDD: I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - One of the biggest hits of 1982, and my favorite of all three of her 1982 hits. This is another one of those songs that despite overplay, has held up quite well. LOL @ Casey “mistakenly” playing an opera record at first! OPTIONAL EXTRA: TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT - GENESIS - This song always makes me thirsty for a beer It is the fourth single from Genesis' Invisible Touch album, and it is also my fourth favorite. It wasn't anything exceptional, but I hated the album version, which U93 started playing around this time - the instrumental bridge with those goofy sound effects (reminiscent of the background music in the SNES Donkey Kong Country games) drags on and on. Fortunately, I seldom hear that version anymore. 31: CONTROL - JANET JACKSON (16) - Meh, I was never a fan of this song. I preferred most of her other singles. 30: LET'S WAIT AWHILE - JANET JACKSON (36) - She had back-to-back hits on the chart, showing that 1987 just might treat her as well as 1986! Almost exactly two years before, Cyndi Lauper had set a record for the most Top 40 hits from a single album by a solo female - five from She's So Unusual. This song tied the record as it was the fifth from Control. Several weeks later, Janet would break the record for the most Top Ten hits from an album by a solo female (as the fifth song from Cyndi Lauper's album ran out of gas at #27). A song with a great message about abstinence and my favorite of the Control singles. 29: BRAND NEW LOVER - DEAD OR ALIVE (33) - This song was passable (and I preferred it over their other Top 40 hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)"), but it was nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to either. 28: I WANNA GO BACK - EDDIE MONEY (32) - I can definitely relate to this song - going back to good times of the past. One his best songs ever IMO! This is a song that generally had the second verse edited out, but they played the song in full this week, to my pleasant surprise. 27: MANDOLIN RAIN - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (35) - You know what, it seems that this song was edited down more often than not, usually by cutting out the second verse, but sometimes they hacked off the "running down by the lake shore" bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. This week, however, they left the song alone (wow, they seem to be doing that with most of my favorite songs this week!). 26: SHAKE YOU DOWN - GREGORY ABBOTT (13) - This is one of several number one hits from the eighties that doesn't get much recurrent airplay. I like this one - the chord progressions in the choruses remind me of those in parts of the Journey hit coming up later in the countdown. 25: CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE - COREY HART (31) - Of course, nothing can beat the original by the King, but this was a great cover, and the most successful remake of the song thus far. Six years later, as we all know, UB40 came along and bested this version with their reggae remake. That version hit number one and became one of the biggest hits of that year. 24: STAY THE NIGHT - BENJAMIN ORR (25) - For years, I never knew that the guy who sang this song was the lead singer on "Drive" (as well as several other hits by the Cars, who would end up disbanding the following year). I thought this was a nice song, and I'm surprised that it didn't get any higher than the twenties, as the radio station I listened to back then (U93 in South Bend) gave this one early action. Usually songs like that did well, but not this one. 23: C'EST LA VIE - ROBBIE NEVIL (11) - The first (and most successful) of three Top 20 hits from Nevil's self-titled debut album. I prefer the other two, since they weren't as overplayed as this one, which isn't bad either. 22: TALK TO ME - CHICO DeBARGE EXTRA: YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS - NEIL DIAMOND AND BARBRA STREISAND - Ugh, we were subjected to this dreck two weeks in a row? Honestly, 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? OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - EUROPE - The horns in this song reminded me a little of the intro to "Only Time Will Tell" by Asia. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two Top 40 hits from the album of the same name. BTW, I wonder where Larry got the info that this was from the Rocky IV soundtrack? It was not, nor were there any songs by the band on the soundtrack. 21: I'LL BE ALRIGHT WITHOUT YOU - JOURNEY (27) - This song is far and away my favorite single from Raised On Radio, and one of my all-time faves from Journey. Remember Michael Bolton's remake of Otis Redding's "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay"? The guitar solo in the bridge of that song sounded so much like the guitar solo at the end of this song (and for good reason, as Neil Schon does said guitar solos in both songs). 20: LAND OF CONFUSION - GENESIS (6) - This song is pretty good. They don't play it very much anymore ("Throwing It All Away" and "In Too Deep" are the only two songs from this that radio plays, although I do occasionally hear the title track, which is my fave. I wasn't paying much attention - did they cut out the second verse like they usually did? 19: SOMEDAY - GLASS TIGER (8) - They only had a handful of Top 40 hits, but I liked them all including the mid-charters "I Will Be There" and "I'm Still Searching". This is possibly my least favorite of all their hits, but it's still pretty good. This song was another one of many songs edited by removing the second verse, but it wasn't quite as bad as when my favorite songs were butchered. 18: RESPECT YOURSELF - BRUCE WILLIS (26) - The previous fall, Don Johnson, star of Miami Vice, had a Top Ten hit called "Heartbeat" and now Bruce Willis, who was currently starring on "Moonlighting", was giving it a shot with a song that would also hit the Top Ten and today, would be listed as by Bruce Willis featuring the Pointer Sisters, especially since one of them sang the second verse, and they were heard singing back-up throughout the song, which I thought was OK, but nothing exceptional. 17: (YOU GOTTA) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (TO PARTY) - THE BEASTIE BOYS (24) - Back in the day, I liked that song, because, being fifteen years old, I could definitely relate. My fascination for this song has dimmed significantly since then, since I'm not a big fan of rap. 16: BIG TIME - PETER GABRIEL (22) - The first two singles from the So album are quite overplayed (especially "Sledgehammer"), but this one you hardly hear anymore. Perhaps that's why it's my favorite song from the album. 15: STOP TO LOVE - LUTHER VANDROSS (19) - Definitely one of my favorite songs by Luther! You don't hear this one much anymore, so it always takes me back to early 1987. When I first heard this song, I thought that "Give Me The Reason" had done a turnabout on the chart, since both songs sound somewhat similar. 14: SOMEWHERE OUT THERE - LINDA RONSTADT AND JAMES INGRAM (21) - I never saw the animated movie, but I definitely heard the song many a time (we even sang it for our spring choir concert in my sophomore year in high school). I loved this song, like most of James' (and many of Linda's) songs. 13: NOBODY'S FOOL - CINDERELLA (18) - They definitely had several great power ballads. Not sure if I prefer this or "Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone", from the fall of the following year. 12: LOVE YOU DOWN - READY FOR THE WORLD (14) - After two upbeat dance hits, they slowed the tempo down for this one. It apparently worked, as this song hit the Top Ten. I preferred this one, as well as INOJ's 1997 cover of this song, over said upbeat songs. 11: YOU GOT IT ALL - THE JETS (17) - And here's another act whose first two hits (one of which just missed the Top 40 the previous summer) were upbeat and they went with a ballad for their third single, and it became one of their biggest hits ever. This, along with their AC hit from 1989, "The Same Love" are my two favorite songs from them - great songs indeed! OPTIONAL EXTRA: LEAN ON ME - CLUB NOUVEAU - This was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it shot straight up to #1! It's still not one of my favorite songs (especially since it seems I hear it practically every day on WNSN), but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original by Bill Withers - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! 10: BALLERINA GIRL - LIONEL RICHIE (12) - One of four Top 20 hits from Dancing On The Ceiling. My favorite from that album was "Love Will Conquer All", but this would be a close second. 9: WE'RE READY - BOSTON (10) - Their random comeback indeed proved to be worthwhile, as they doubled their number of Top Ten hits as a result. They'd had two up to the release of Third Stage, which gave them two more, including this one, which is one of my favorites from Boston! 8: JACOB'S LADDER - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (15) - This song was doing anything but taking it step by step and rung by rung - more like burning up the chart! It would hit the top three weeks later. This is another #1 hit that doesn't get much recurrent airplay, like the Gregory Abbott song mentioned earlier. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him/them. 7: AT THIS MOMENT - BILLY VERA & THE BEATERS (2) - ARGH! They played the version of this meh-tastic song with Billy milking the last line for all it's worth, and the crowd egging him on. They should have had Carl Winslow (from Family Matters) there so he could have bellered, "OH WOULD YOU JUST GET TO THE END OF THE SONG??!!!!!!" Oh, and that line near the end, where he sang "if you stayed, I'd subtract twenty years from my life" - that makes no sense at all. What if he was going to live another fifteen or so years? She'd stay, but he'd be dead, thus defeating the whole purpose. OK, I'm done venting - next song, please... 6: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME - CHICAGO (9) - Their first Top 40 hit following the departure of their lead singer, Peter Cetera. Cetera's replacement was Jason Scheff, whom shared the lead vocals on this song with Bill Champlin. They both took turns singing lead on their songs and, since their voices sound so similar, I can never tell which one of them sang what. Anyway, I liked this song - one of my favorite post-Cetera songs from Chicago. 5: KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF - THE GEORGIA SATELLITES (7) - How many times did you hear your teacher saying this? Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of southern rock, but this one wasn't too bad. LDD: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL - This was a very sweet LDD. I was about to become a big brother, as my dad was getting married at the end of the month, to a lady who had three girls (who usually wanted to have nothing to do with me, lol!). This song, which just barely missed the Top Ten in late 1977, became rather popular in the LDD department. One of my favorite songs by Firefall. 4: TOUCH ME (I WANT YOUR BODY) - SAMANTHA FOX (5) - I wasn't generally a huge fan of hers, but I did like this one, as well as her next release "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)", which only got as high as #87. As usual, Casey didn't mention the subtitle of this song (in fact, did he ever?) OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE FINER THINGS - STEVE WINWOOD - Back In The High Life was definitely Winwood's most successful album as far as singles go, as there were four of them that hit the Top 40. This was the third and there was no "Third Single Syndrome" here, as this was the second most successful song from the album behind the #1 "Higher Love". This was very possibly my favorite song from the album, though there are several other songs by him that I prefer. 3: CHANGE OF HEART - CYNDI LAUPER (4) - Given how big a hit this was, I'm surprised that it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay anymore. Honestly; the last time I heard this outside of countdown shows was during its chart run. Too bad, as it was a great song - one of my favorites from her. Glad they played the full version of the song (as I seem to recall that this one is usually edited). 2: OPEN YOUR HEART - MADONNA (1) - This song put Madonna in a tie with Whitney Houston for the female artist with the most number one songs from a single album - three each. Of course, Whitney would beat that record a little over a year later when "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", from her sophomore album Whitney, became the fourth number one from that album (and I'm sure that that record has been beaten, probably many times over). Back when this song was charting, it was kinda just there, but it's one of those songs that gets better with age. 34 years later, it's a great song! 1: LIVIN' ON A PRAYER - BON JOVI (3) - Meh, not one of my favorites from them at all. I prefer their slower songs, like "Never Say Goodbye", which radio had just recently started playing. Too bad that was never released as a single; since prom and graduation were around the corner, that song might have been a #1 hit as well. This one was mediocre at best, IMO.
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Post by bobbo428 on Feb 10, 2021 21:28:09 GMT -5
40 (GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY-OUTLAWS An enjoyable, rocking remake of the 1949 Vaughn Monroe classic, recorded by this Southern rock band, it had a killer hook. I was hoping it would reach the top 10, but it didn’t get past the 30s. 39 BACK IN BLACK-AC/DC Hard-rocking track that remains inescapable on classic rock radio 38 LIVING IN A FANTASY-LEO SAYER This sedate pop song was easier to take than “More Than I Can Say”; it would be Sayer’s last U.S. hit. 37 DE DOO DOO DOO, DE DA DA DA-THE POLICE The band finally broke through on American pop radio with this reggae-tinged rocker, which became their first top-10 hit. In the lyrics, Sting took swipes at politicians and others covering up their true intentions with fancy rhetoric. These people often make words interfere with communicating their true thoughts and feelings. 36 WHAT KIND OF FOOL-BARBRA STREISAND/BARRY GIBB This was a well-sung ballad with a dreamy aura and an early-spring vibe. It would be Streisand’s last top-10 pop hit until her 1996 duet with Bryan Adams, “I Finally Found Someone.” 35 AH! LEAH!-DONNIE IRIS A power-rocker with several excellent hooks, this is still big on classic rock radio. 34 KILLIN’ TIME-FRED KNOBLOCK/SUSAN ANTON This bland, if romantic, MOR record was a moderate pop success. 33 KISS ON MY LIST-DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES This slice of mainstream early-‘80s pop-rock hit the commercial bull’s eye. It was the duo’s second No. 1 pop hit and remains a fixture on AC. The song had a springlike bounce to it. 32 RAPTURE-BLONDIE This was an amusing, funky, quasi-novelty record that sported a surrealistic rap from lead singer Deborah Harry, as well as her soulful vocals. The song became the band’s fourth and final number 1 hit. I recall walking outside on mild February days to this song. 31 TIME IS TIME-ANDY GIBB A tune from his Greatest Hits album, it had a subtle R&B vocal underpinning as well as a rock guitar bridge. 30 HEARTS ON FIRE-RANDY MEISNER Charging pop-rocker by the former Eagle had a strong chorus and landed in the top 20. 29 I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN-BARRY MANILOW This was an orchestrated ballad about persevering through hard times; ironically, this (and Eddie Rabbit’s hit) were popular during a dry period when it was much too cold to rain. It would be Manilow’s final top-10 pop hit. 28 GUILTY-BARBRA STREISAND/BARRY GIBB A dreamy pop song with an R&B edge and a percolating rhythm, the tune was a big winter hit. 27 LOVE ON THE ROCKS-NEIL DIAMOND A movie piano ballad with a late-autumn aura, this became his biggest hit of the ‘80s. 26 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY-ALAN PARSONS PROJECT Enjoyable pop-rocker was one of my favorite hits of 1981—it reminded me of the mild late winter at Oswego, NY, where I was a student. The chorus was especially memorable, as was the instrumental bridge and its pent-up tension. 25 SMOKY MOUNTAIN RAIN-RONNIE MILSAP The tune was a well-written country hit about a man trying to find a woman who had left him—it reminded me of Elvis Presley’s “Kentucky Rain.” Ironically, the writer of the latter song, Eddie Rabbitt, was on the charts in early 1981 with another song about rain. 24 TREAT ME RIGHT-PAT BENATAR This was a hard-driving rocker with an excellent, slamming power pop-styled hook, as well as lyrics warning her man not to take advantage of her. The tune made it to the top 20. 23 A LITTLE IN LOVE-CLIFF RICHARD This infectious late-winter hit about tentative love was a sizable hit. 22 HEARTBREAK HOTEL-JACKSONS This was an underrated story song but not a remake of the 1956 Elvis Presley hit. It had a solid, funky groove and an insinuating hook. The tune was later called “This Place Hotel” to avoid confusion with the Presley classic. 21 SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD-EAGLES Acoustic single from their live album was a moderate success. 20 HELLO AGAIN-NEIL DIAMOND A genuine piano ballad and another big hit for the superstar, the bridge was the highlight of this orchestrated song. 19 TOGETHER-TIERRA This enjoyable remake of 1967 Intruders hit had a reassuring and soulful vibe. 18 IT’S MY TURN-DIANA ROSS This was a wintry, piano-based ballad with standoffish lyrics. It reached the top 10. 17 CRYING-DON MCLEAN The sappy remake of the Roy Orbison hit was not one of my favorite songs of the year; still, it ended up becoming his first top-10 pop hit since “American Pie.” 16 I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT-STEVIE WONDER Baritone delivery with a haunting tone, this issued an ultimatum to a mate who’d been sneaking around on him. It was Wonder’s second hit from his album Hotter than July, which also contained the track “Happy Birthday,” an earnest, funky tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 15 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL-ABBA This wintry piano ballad was about the turmoil that the group was enduring in their personal lives. In the lyrics, divorce was compared to a high-stakes card game. 14 MISS SUN-BOZ SCAGGS A likable, mellow song that was an antidote to the cold winter air, it was his last hit until 1988. 13 EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD-AIR SUPPLY This syrupy ballad was the third big hit in a row for this ubiquitous adult contemporary act. I took my rest room break while this song was on. 12 THE BEST OF TIMES-STYX This was an anthemic rock ballad that became popular when the hostages were released from Iran. A rousing, inspiring tune, it gave the country a sense of hope. The track had the same beginning as the album cut “Rockin’ the Paradise,” a ballad that morphed into a hard rocker. Both were from their biggest selling album, Paradise Theater. The lyrics are possibly even more relatable to 2021 as to 1981. 11 SAME OLD LANG SYDE-DAN FOGELBERG This Christmas-inspired song is the only holiday-oriented recording to remain on the top 40 until March of the following year. The weepy ballad was about a chance meeting with an ex-girlfriend one Christmas Eve. A highlight of this tune was the jazzy outro. 10 HEY NINETEEN-STEELY DAN A jazz-tinged song about the generation gap, the song was about a girl who was my age—19—at the time. The tune had a tightly-produced feel to it. Lyrically, it implied that our generation was too young to appreciate the music of the older Baby Boomers. I beg to differ on that account. 9 GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE-DELBERT MCCLINTON Journeyman rocker finally scored his breakthrough hit with this enjoyable, bluesy song 8 KEEP ON LOVING YOU-REO SPEEDWAGON This well-constructed and sung proto-power ballad has never gone away from the radio after four decades. Not only was it the band’s first top-40 pop hit, but it soared all the way to No. 1. 7 (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER-JOHN LENNON A 1950s-styled pop-rocker, the tune had a bitter irony to it, making Lennon’s untimely December 1980 murder all the more tragic. The song went to No. 1 shortly after his death. Casey introed the song as simply “Starting Over,” which made me think of one of my personal current favorites, Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over.” 6 WOMAN-JOHN LENNON An excellent, understated love song with a hopeful, early-spring feel, this was especially touching in light of his recent murder. The vocal hook was unbeatable and went well with the balmy February afternoons that year. 5 PASSION-ROD STEWART Alluring pop-rocker had an icy, wintry vibe and subtle guitar riff, as well as a pulsating beat and naughty lyrics. It reached the top five. 4 THE TIDE IS HIGH-BLONDIE This reggae-tinged pop tune was a huge pop success. The song helped psych us up for our final exams—in my case, Calculus and Chemistry, among others. 3 I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT-EDDIE RABBITT This was a generic country/pop crossover tune but ended up being his all-time biggest pop success. 2 9 TO 5-DOLLY PARTON This catchy country/pop crossover tune deplored being disrespected and taken for granted at work; it would become Parton’s all-time biggest pop success, reaching number 1. The clacking typewriter sound heard at the beginning of the record was produced by Parton’s fingernails. 1 CELEBRATION-KOOL & THE GANG A fun tune, this has been played frequently ever since—and not just at parties, weddings, and graduations. Four decades of continual airplay, however, has rendered it a mundane event. The single lacked the funky pull of their 1970s hits or the romantic touch of later hits such as “Joanna” or “Cherish.” It was their sole No. 1 pop hit.
OE GUITAR MAN-ELVIS PRESLEY A posthumous re-release of his 1968 track, this would reach the top 30. OE IT’S A LOVE THING-THE WHISPERS This was an enjoyable R&B number, in the upbeat vein of “And the Beat Goes On.” I was pleasantly surprised to hear this as an extra—it had a springy sound to it. OE DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME-THE POLICE This was an ominous song about a girl whose teacher was in love with her. It was the second hit from their Zenyatta Mondatta album, which also had the cool track “When the World Is Running Down, Make the Best of What Is Still Around,” as well as the urgent-sounding reggae tune “Canary in a Coalmine.” “Don’t Stand” was the band’s second straight top-10 hit, and it had an unforgettable chorus. Eight years later, Taylor Dayne would have a song with a similar hook called “Don’t Rush Me.” OE: MORNING TRAIN (NINE TO FIVE)-SHEENA EASTON A bouncy pop number about a woman eagerly waiting for her husband to get back from work, this was a huge success and a chief reason that Easton ended up winning the Best New Artist Grammy a year later.
LDD: FREE BIRD Yet another LDD song that didn’t fir the story told in the letter—just like the two songs from last weeks’ 1982 show. LDD: NAME OF THE GAME-ABBA This tune, which I also heard in the 1978 countdown, was a melodic number that definitely fit the tone of the dediction. ARCHIVE: HELLO DOLLY-LOUIS ARMSTRONG This charming tune with an old-fashioned jazz sound was a surprise smash that spring. I vaguely remember it from when I lived in Allentown, PA at age 3. ARCHIVE: MY GUY-MARY WELLS A Motown love song, this was Wells’ biggest pop hit—a romantic tune with an irresistible hook. ARCHIVE: LOVE ME DO/ P.S. I LOVE YOU-THE BEATLES “Love Me Do” was an easygoing, summer sort of pop rocker and was yet another chart-topper for the foursome; the harmonica riff was a highlight of the tune. “P.S. I Love You” was a melodic, romantic tune that epitomized the Merseybeat sound; it also had a touch of soul.
Many of the comments on songs were from my self-published book “X-Citement: A Journey Through Pop Music Land, 1980-1999. I will be moving soon, and I am trying to get rid of as many books as I can. If you are interested in this fun book at a dirt-cheap price (or my 1970s book, where the LDD songs and the archive tunes are), send me a note.
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Post by bobbo428 on Feb 10, 2021 21:42:42 GMT -5
^Thanks! Upon reading some of those posts you referred to, I wondered about Foreigner on the R&R chart. "Waiting" was the only single from 4 that did better on R&R than Billboard. "Urgent" only reached #9 versus a #4 Hot 100 peak whereas neither "Juke Box Hero" nor "Break it Up" made the R&R chart which I think at the time was only 30 positions. Strange that stations would largely ignore those 2 songs from such a well known group. I am surprised by this because AOR songs tended to do better on R&R's pop chart than on Billboard's Hot 100. The charts can be unpredictable, however--that is why the discrepancies between Billboard and R&R are fascinating.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 12, 2021 14:04:50 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 13, 2021
This week's presentation - February 12, 1977
Dropped: IN THE MOOD - HENHOUSE FIVE PLUS TWO (40) - A hilarious parody of the Glenn Miller classic, sung by a brood of chickens! I LIKE TO DO IT - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (37) - I seem to remember that this one was mediocre. YOU'VE GOT ME RUNNIN' - GENE COTTON (33) - I don't remember how this one goes either, but I do recall that I liked it almost as much as "Before My Heart Finds Out".
40: SAY YOU'LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW - TOM JONES (debut) - Jones' first hit since the summer of 1971 (and his last until he was the featured artist in the Art Of Noise's remake of "Kiss" by Prince). It was a pretty good song - reminds me a little of Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" 39: CRACKERBOX PALACE - GEORGE HARRISON (debut) - This song always takes me back to my college years, since I had the song on one of my favorite mix tapes that I compiled early in the school year, and listened to it all the time. Definitely one of Harrison's best solo hits! 38: LIVIN' THING - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (34) - They heavily edited this song, playing only the first and last verses and choruses. I seem to recall that this song was edited more often than not. Anyway, it was a good song, though I preferred a few others from them. 37: MOODY BLUE - ELVIS PRESLEY (39) - Little did anyone know what would happen to the King about six months later Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I generally preferred his earlier hits. 36: STAND TALL - BURTON CUMMINGS (31) - 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. 35: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT) - ROD STEWART (30) - Casey mentioned that this song spent seven weeks on top - the most since "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. I guess he didn't count the "frozen chart" week, which was Rod's last week on top. 34: SATURDAY NITE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (29) - Meh, not one of their best hits by any means. 33: AFTER THE LOVIN' - ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK (24) - Wow, lots of descending songs outside the Top 30 this week! I wonder if the following week had a ton of debuts? Anyway, 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. 32: LONG TIME - BOSTON (debut) - With a high debut position, one might think that Boston was headed for their second Top Ten hit, but this one, in fact, didn't even hit the Top 20. WLS played this song quite a lot back in the day, so I remember hearing it all the time and am pretty surprised it didn't do any better than it did. 31: SOMEBODY TO LOVE - QUEEN (16) - 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. 30: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS (36) - Their first Top 40 hit. I preferred the album version, which I don't believe AT40 ever played. 29: LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE - SMOKIE (32) - ALICE?? WHO THE F--- IS ALICE?? 28: RICH GIRL - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (38) - Good; they didn't edit out the lines that contained the B-word. The song's short enough as it is, and IMO, it's only a bad word when you're calling someone a name or yelling "son of a b----" when you're mad. The context they use it in means a tough situation. But that is only my opinion and nothing more. As for my opinion on the song, I like it - glad it made it to the top. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAYBE I'M AMAZED - WINGS - I definitely preferred the live version of this over Paul's studio version from earlier in the 70s. 27: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE - 10CC (35) - This song sounds like something Queen might have done, doesn't it? Anyway, this would be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits. 26: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR (TO BE IN MY SHOW) - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (23) - This song was in a two-way tie for the longest running song in the Top 40 (and the following week, they'd have that title all to themselves, as the other song, which, of course, was "Tonight's The Night", dropped out the following week). It's a good song. 25: SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY - STEPHEN BISHOP (27) - Not bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to "On And On", from later in 1977. 24: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY - THELMA HOUSTON (26) - This song was taking baby steps up the chart and didn't really look like it would hit the top, but it definitely had perseverance! I like this, but preferred the Communards remake, which peaked at #40 ten years later. 23: JEANS ON - DAVIS DUNDAS (17) - 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. 22: BOOGIE CHILD - THE BEE GEES (25) - Not a fan of this one. I preferred their Saturday Night Fever hits. 21: AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING - DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (21) - Wow, this sounds very similar to the original by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Not sure which of the two I prefer. 20: GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC (28) - The first of four singles from one of the biggest albums ever, Rumors. It's my second favorite of the four, behind "You Make Lovin' Fun". 19: YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING - LEO SAYER (15) - Interesting story about how this song was born. It is my favorite of his two #1 hits. 18: WALK THIS WAY - AEROSMITH (10) - Their second Top Ten (and last one for another eleven years). I liked this song, but preferred Run DMC's cover from 1986. 17: HARD LUCK WOMAN - KISS (18) - Here's another song that had a cover version that hit the chart as well! I think I slightly preferred the cover, which Garth Brooks charted with in 1994. 16: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (19) - Their biggest hit ever, and my absolute favorite from them! 15: YEAR OF THE CAT - AL STEWART (20) - 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". 14: NIGHT MOVES - BOB SEGER (22) - The title track from one of Seger's best albums ever! I preferred the next single from that album, "Mainstreet". AT40 really butchered this song this week, didn't they? OPTIONAL EXTRA: FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST - ROD STEWART - This song wasn't bad, but I preferred his song on the chart this week, as well as Sheryl Crow's 2003 cover. 13: WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND - BARRY MANILOW (14) - After hearing his song "Somewhere Down The Road" as an LDD on this week's 1984 show, I noticed that songs similar to this one. Anyway, as we all know, I liked most of Barry's slow songs. 12: HOT LINE - SYLVERS (5) - 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. 11: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE - STEVE MILLER BAND (13) - 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! 10: LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - BREAD (11) - They were mainly an early-70s band, but they did have a comeback hit in early 1977, which, as you can see, hit the Top Ten. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from them! 9: I LIKE DREAMIN' - KENNY NOLAN (12) - 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. 8: I WISH - STEVIE WONDER (8) - This was the current #1 on the soul chart - kind of weird, as it had already hit #1 on the Hot 100. I liked this song, but preferred his next hit, "Sir Duke", which would also hit #1 several months later. 7: ENJOY YOURSELF - THE JACKSONS (9) - 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. 6: DAZZ - BRICK (3) - Typical roof raising R&B music of the 70s that I wasn't a big fan of. 5: LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" - BARBRA STREISAND (7) - The soundtrack of "A Star Is Born" was #1 on this week's album chart and the song would do the same on the Hot 100 three weeks later, and deservedly so, as this was one of Streisand's best songs ever! 4: CAR WASH - ROSE ROYCE (2) - For a disco song, this one was pretty good. I remember that about 25 years ago, 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. 3: BLINDED BY THE LIGHT - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (6) - They played a drop piece of Bruce Springsteen's version, but they didn't play quite enough of it for me to give my opinion on it, but, from what I did hear, I think I like this version much better, even though they butchered it big time this week OPTIONAL EXTRA: DO YA - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - I remember hearing this one back in the day, thinking they were saying "She's The One I Love". Wow, they heavily edited this one - we didn't hear the chorus until the end of the song. 2: NEW KID IN TOWN - EAGLES (4) - This song looked like it would hit #1 the following week, but Manfred Mann leapfrogged over him. No matter; they'd hit the top the following week. 1: BORED BETWEEN TWO GEEZERS - MARY MacGREGOR (1) - All I have to say is good for Manfred Mann, as they would dethrone this borefest from the top. Oh, also, I was glad that they edited the song this week.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 12, 2021 14:05:24 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 13, 2021
This week's presentation - February 16, 1985
Droppers: MISTAKE NO. 3 - CULTURE CLUB (33) - They were fading fast at this point, so they decided to release their first ballad, which did not do the trick at all, as it was by far their least successful song up to this point, running out of steam at #33. Definitely not one of their best. JAMIE - RAY PARKER JR. (31) - Ah, a song about not being able to let go of an old girlfriend! I know that feeling! The song was a good one - my favorite of his two songs released in 1984 by a sizeable margin (as I felt "Ghostbusters" was overplayed, as well as overrated). RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS (25) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the first of them. I liked it, but preferred a few others from Adams. ALL I NEED - JACK WAGNER (24) - This was Frisco Jones' only Top 40 hit, and a great song it was - one of my favorite songs from 1984/1985 - in fact, its eight-week run at the top of my Personal Top 30 charts was divided evenly between the two years.
40: JUST ANOTHER NIGHT – MICK JAGGER (debut) - Of course, he had been singing lead with the Rolling Stones (who were still together and not done hitting the charts yet), but he had a few solo hits, including this, which was his biggest hit on his own (his biggest was his collaboration with David Bowie that fall, "Dancing In The Street"). 39: TRAGEDY – JOHN HUNTER (debut) - Not a remake of the Bee Gees' #1 song from the spring of 1979. That song was much better! This one wasn't too bad, though. 38: I WANNA HEAR IT FROM YOUR LIPS – ERIC CARMEN (39) - His first Top 40 hit in a little over six years, though it definitely wasn't one of his biggest hits. Fortunately, his chart career wasn't quite over yet, as 1988 ended up being one of his biggest years. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but definitely not one of my favorite songs from him. 37: HIGH ON YOU - SURVIVOR (40) - This Chicago band had just come off of their first Top 40 hit in about two years, "I Can't Hold Back" (which was by far my favorite song from them). I also liked this follow-up song, which would hit #8 in late March. 36: OOH OOH SONG – PAT BENATAR (38) - Melodically, this song wasn't bad, but come on, what a stupid song title! I wonder if that's why the song tanked so fast? 35: SAVE A PRAYER – DURAN DURAN (debut) - I seem to recall that they often cut out the second verse of this song, but I wasn't really paying close attention, so I don't know if this song was edited this week or not. Regardless, it's a great song - one of my favorites from Duran Duran 34: MATERIAL GIRL - MADONNA (debut) - She had indeed had a great year in 1984, and 1985 was shaping up to be even better, hitwise, that is. This was her first new hit during the year and, even though it was my least favorite of her 1985 songs, it was still a good one. 33: KEEPING THE FAITH – BILLY JOEL (37) - Many people thought he was done putting out hits from An Innocent Man, as it had been quite awhile since the last single, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" had charted, and it only got as high as #27. But he surprised everybody by releasing a sixth single, and it proved to be worthwhile, as it was a Top 20 hit. It was a good song, but I preferred many others from them, including a few from said album. 32: MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING – CYNDI LAUPER (27) - Casey mentioned how Cyndi Lauper became the first female artist (and the second artist overall) to spend over a year in the Top 40 consecutively with songs from the same album. I forget how long Lionel had spent on - 60-some weeks. This was Cyndi's 56th consecutive week and it would be her last, as this song would fall out of the Top 40 the following week, so Lionel kept the longevity record (which I'm sure has been beaten by now - most likely many times over). Anyway, this was the fifth song from She's So Unusual; however, it did not hit the Top Five like the first four - in fact, the song came nowhere near the Top 20. But that could be because most of her fans had the album by now (in fact, I imagine that many people received it as a Christmas gift). I wasn't a big fan of the song myself, so I wasn't disappointed that it didn't fare too well on the charts. 31: NAUGHTY NAUGHTY – JOHN PARR (36) - His first of two Top 40 hits, both in 1985 (and he had the movie St. Elmo's Fire to thank for his second and bigger hit). I preferred that one over this one, which was kind of just there, IMO. 30: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY (34) - Steve Perry was working double duty this week, with this song by his band, as well as his solo hit, which is coming up in the Top 20. From the Vision Quest soundtrack, this song, their first since late 1983, would peak at #9 in March. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite song from them. 29: LOVE LIGHT IN FLIGHT – STEVIE WONDER (22) - This song was somewhat reminiscent of his earlier material (the tune, that is - the instrumental arrangements were totally 80s). I really liked the song - my favorite of his two 1985 hits (three, if you count "Go Home"). 28: RELAX – FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (35) - Meh, never cared for this one at all. LDD: THROUGH THE YEARS – KENNY ROGERS - This may not have been one of his biggest chart hits, but it sure became popular in the LDD department, such was the case this week! Between the song's release in 1982 and the last show of 1987, it was requested as a dedication 17 times! I can see why, as it is a great song! 27: TENDERNESS – GENERAL PUBLIC (28) - This English band looked like they'd be a one-hit wonder, but they surprised us nine years later with a song that was even slightly bigger, their cover of the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There". I preferred that song; this one was mediocre at best. 26: ROCKIN’ AT MIDNIGHT – THE HONEYDRIPPERS (29) - The two Top 40 hits for this band, led by Robert Plant, of Led Zeppelin fame, were both covers of earlier hits, this one, a song originally a hit for Roy Brown in the early 40s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Sea Of Love". 25: PRIVATE DANCER – TINA TURNER (30) - She was definitely hotter than ever at this point, as this would become her third consecutive Top Ten hit. It was a good one - not sure which of the Private Dancer singles I prefer. 24: LOVER GIRL – TEENA MARIE (32) - For some reason, I did not like this song at all during its chart run, but now I think it's pretty good. I still prefer her less successful hit "I Need Your Lovin'", from early 1981. 23: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES – JULIAN LENNON (26) - Well, then is it early enough against helloes? No, seriously, this was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his singles. 22: JUNGLE LOVE – THE TIME (23) - This was a rare case where a group's Top 40 hits charted after they had disbanded (they had another Top 40 hit "The Bird" later in 1985). I preferred this song, though it wasn't anything exceptional 21: CALL TO THE HEART - GUIFFRIA (15) - They sounded a cross between Journey and Triumph, didn't they? This was their only Top 40 hit, which was too bad, as it was a great song - one of several songs on this week's chart that deserved more exposure than it got. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE MORE NIGHT - PHIL COLLINS - The first single from Phil Collins' No Jacket Required album, which would spawn two more songs during 1985, and another in the spring of 1986. This was my favorite of those songs and it must have been a strong song, to be able to fend off "We Are The World" like it did its second week at #1. 20: OPERATOR – MIDNIGHT STAR (18) - This was a big dance and R&B hit (it was a #1 hit on the latter) and it also did well on the Hot 100, peaking at #18 the past two weeks. It was a catchy song and very weird, electronically sung in the verses and choruses alike. The "phone off the hook" sound effect at the beginning was rather irritating, though. 19: I WOULD DIE 4 U – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (10) - This one had kind of a fast chart run, especially over on the R&R chart (but that's understandable, as the Purple Rain soundtrack had sold millions of copies by this point and, hence, people weren't compelled to call in and request this on the radio). As for the song, it was a good one, though I wasn't too crazy about it back in the day. 18: FOOLISH HEART – STEVE PERRY (19) - This was the song I mentioned earlier. It was Perry's fourth and final solo hit from the album Street Talk. It was a pretty good song - it and "Oh Sherrie" both receive a decent amount of recurrent airplay (although this song is generally played on AC-oriented oldies stations). 17: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA (9) - One of very few post-1983 songs to spend more than four weeks on top, but based on who it was, it wasn't that big of a surprise. As mentioned earlier, 1985 was definitely her year, with a ton of Top Five hits to come that year. This is one of my favorite songs from her - one that overplay didn't tarnish much at all. 16: MISLED – KOOL & THE GANG (20) - They were in the midst of a streak of songs with one-word titles (in fact, didn't they hold the record for that?). Anyway, I liked all three of their Top Ten hits from the Emergency album, although my favorite of those was "Fresh". 15: MR. TELEPHONE MAN – NEW EDITION (21) - I'd had enough of their song "Cool It Now" at this point, but their second hit, on the other hand, was my favorite song from them - in fact, according to my Personal Top 30 chart, it was the biggest hit for all of 1985! You could tell that Ray Parker, Jr produced this, as it sounds a lot like several of his older hits with Raydio (even has the same synthesizer). LDD: I’M STILL STANDING – ELTON JOHN - This song definitely fit the LDD, as was about two guys in the military who were both victims of the dreaded "Dear John letter", but they both withstood the situation nevertheless. This song charted in sort of a low period in his career, during which he had seven singles in a row that missed the Top Ten (the dry spell would end in early 1984, when "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" peaked at #4. I myself thought this was a great song and should have been a Top Ten (like it was on the R&R chart). 14: THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD – JOHN FOGERTY (17) - The former lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival had been absent from the chart, even as a solo singer for nearly a decade. His comeback hit became his most successful solo hit. It was a good song, but my favorite solo hit from him was "Centerfield", which just missed the Top 40 later that year (but seems to be the one that receives the most recurrent airplay). 13: YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO (6) - The third hit from their Chicago 17 album (and their final Top Ten hit with Peter Cetera singing lead). It was a good song, but I preferred their previous hit "Hard Habit To Break". 12: SOLID – ASHFORD & SIMPSON (12) - Like the Teena Marie song earlier in the countdown, I disliked this song when it was on the chart, but now I think it's a great song. Wham!'s song "Everything She Wants" sounds a little like this song, IMO. 11: SUGAR WALLS – SHEENA EASTON (14) - Naughty naughty, Sheena! I wasn't a big fan of this song at all - I generally preferred her more "innocent" songs from earlier in the decade. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M ON FIRE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which would peak at #6 in April. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA. 10: CALIFORNIA GIRLS – DAVID LEE ROTH (13) - Of course, I was more familiar with the Beach Boys' version of this song, both from the radio and from the "Diet Sunkist" commercial in the early-80s. Roth's version did not sound much different than the original, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Both are great, summertime sounding songs (That said, I wonder how this song would have done if released in time for summer). 9: THE BOYS OF SUMMER – DON HENLEY (5) - Ah, a summer hit charting in winter (and the winter of 1985 was indeed a cold one). As for this song, it was a great one - my third favorite single from Building The Perfect Beast, behind "Sunset Grill" and "Not Enough Love In The World" (though it would be a very close race between those songs). 8: THE HEAT IS ON – GLENN FREY (11) - One of two hits from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack in this week's chart (in fact, as of this week, they would be in the Top Ten simultaneously for four consecutive weeks). This one would be the most successful, as it would peak at #2. It was not bad, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. 7: CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING – REO SPEEDWAGON (16) - Now here's a band whose power ballads seemed to be favored by the Top 40 audience, as their three Top Five hits were all such songs. This one was making the biggest jump of the week, catching up to its progress on the R&R chart, where it was also at #7, moving up only a single spot. As you know probably all too well, this was one of my all-time faves from them 6: NEUTRON DANCE – THE POINTER SISTERS (8) - This was the other song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack that I mentioned earlier, and it was a Top Ten hit, like "The Heat Is On". I never really cared for this song, or any post-1982 Pointer Sisters songs. This one was apparently an inspiration for KT Tunstall's "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" (especially with the "woo-hoos"), which accounts for how I hated that song with a passion during its chart run. 5: METHOD OF MODERN LOVE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (7) - The second of four Top 40 hits from their album Big Bam Boom. This song wasn't bad, but I don't understand why they didn't spell out the word "modern" 4: LOVER BOY – BILLY OCEAN (5) - This song did almost as well as "Caribbean Queen", peaking at #2, but the song at #1 was too strong for it. Too bad, as I prefer this song over that one, which just had to go and become the biggest hit of 1985, but we get ahead of ourselves... This was one of my favorite of Ocean's upbeat songs. 3: EASY LOVER - PHILIP BAILEY & PHIL COLLINS (2) - Phil Collins was gearing up to release his "No Jacket Required" album, which would be possibly his biggest singles album ever. That song would spawn three singles within the year, and he bookended those with very successful duets, including this one, which was a great song IMO - the two Phils sounded great together! OPTIONAL EXTRA: RADIOACTIVE - THE FIRM - The only Top 40 hit for this British supergroup, consisting of members of various bands such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company and Manfred Mann. The song was OK, but I wasn't a huge fan. 2: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER (1) - They finally had their very first #1 song, after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY, which, as we know all too well, spent ten frustrating weeks at #2. I actually preferred this one, which featured Jennifer Holliday, Tom Bailey (of the Thompson Twins) and the New Jersey Mass Choir on backing vocals. 1: CARELESS WHISPER – WHAM FEATURING GEORGE MICHAEL (3) - We all know that I used to like this song, but my fascination for this song dimmed significantly when a girl that I was hoping to dance with at a middle school dance got back together with her boyfriend and basically threw me under a bus. Fortunately, that happened when this song was on its way down the chart. Another good thing is that, the following Monday morning, I got to see the girl get paddled after a teacher heard her cussing me out just for saying hi to her. Ah, the joys of karma!
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Post by friarboy on Feb 13, 2021 8:22:12 GMT -5
Just when I think I have heard every Top 40 song from the 80s, John Hunter’s “Tragedy” comes in at #39.
If I ever heard it back then or since, something overwrote it in that part of my memory.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 13, 2021 8:26:07 GMT -5
Just when I think I have heard every Top 40 song from the 80s, John Hunter’s “Tragedy” comes in at #39. If I ever heard it back then or since, something overwrote it in that part of my memory. I remember hearing it on the countdown back in the day, plus I saw the video on MTV. Other than that... It did hit the WLS survey, but I certainly don't ever recall hearing it as part of regular programming on that station. Then again, that was decades ago - a few things that happened then have since been removed from my memory.
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Post by dth1971 on Feb 13, 2021 9:11:25 GMT -5
Just when I think I have heard every Top 40 song from the 80s, John Hunter’s “Tragedy” comes in at #39. If I ever heard it back then or since, something overwrote it in that part of my memory. John Hunter was from Chicago, it even got some airplay on WLS 890 AM (then Chicago home to AT40 at the time) at the time!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 13, 2021 10:18:46 GMT -5
Just when I think I have heard every Top 40 song from the 80s, John Hunter’s “Tragedy” comes in at #39. If I ever heard it back then or since, something overwrote it in that part of my memory. John Hunter was from Chicago, it even got some airplay on WLS 890 AM (then Chicago home to AT40 at the time) at the time! Well, maybe that's why I never heard it; I usually listened to WLS at FM 94.7.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 13, 2021 21:04:56 GMT -5
Our local rock station in Connecticut,WPLR,plays "Urgent" & "Juke Box Hero" on a regular basis.
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Post by mkarns on Feb 14, 2021 1:29:43 GMT -5
40: SAY YOU'LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW - TOM JONES (debut) - Jones' first hit since the summer of 1971 (and his last until he was the featured artist in the Art Of Noise's remake of "Kiss" by Prince). It was a pretty good song - reminds me a little of "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" by an artist whose name escapes me (it wasn't the Caravelles).
Ernest Tubb? Tennessee Ernie Ford? Tom was clearly going for a country sound with this song--and it worked, as it hit #1 on the country chart on which he had several later hits.
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Post by dth1971 on Feb 14, 2021 7:53:43 GMT -5
John Hunter was from Chicago, it even got some airplay on WLS 890 AM (then Chicago home to AT40 at the time) at the time! Well, maybe that's why I never heard it; I usually listened to WLS at FM 94.7. And WLS 94.7 FM Chicago didn't become WYTZ Z-95 a year later in 1986, and two years later WYTZ picked up AT40 from WLS AM 890.
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