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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 14, 2021 21:51:20 GMT -5
Hervard,you didn't give a critique of the first Optional Extra from 2/16/85 which was "Rhythm Of The Night" by Debarge.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 19, 2021 14:04:37 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - February 20, 2021
This week's presentation - February 24, 1979
This was a landmark show since, of course, it began the show with a recap of the previous week's Top Three. I guess they were tired of filling up excess time with random extras. Not sure why they didn't add this feature right when the show was extended to four hours, but whatever. Anyway, here is my commentary of this week's show.
LW#3: A LITTLE MORE LOVE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN LW#2: YMCA - VILLAGE PEOPLE LW#1: DO YA THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART 40: MY LIFE - BILLY JOEL (32) - Definitely my favorite single from 52nd Street - by a fairly wide margin, as well as one of my favorites from him of all-time. As usual, they played the single version, which I never cared for. The way they edited it for the 45 made it sound so abrupt. 39: MAYBE I'M A FOOL - EDDIE MONEY (debut) - The only Top 40 hit from Money's sophomore album Life For The Taking, but a great song it was! One of his all-time best! 38: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART (debut) - Meh, this was not one of my personal favorites by any means, but it was indeed a disco classic that has stood the test of time. 37: STUMBLIN' IN - SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (debut) - This was a typical late-70s MOR type hit. It was a good one, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 36: YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL) - SYLVESTER (40) - I wonder if Tweety Pie had any songs out around this time? 35: SEPTEMBER - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (11) - Wow, what a hard fall! This was their fourth Top Ten hit, and one of their best ever! This one still gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay on oldies stations. 34: FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS - NEIL DIAMOND (39) - 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. 33: SONG ON THE RADIO - AL STEWART (38) - This song definitely bears resemblance to Carole King's Jazzman. It's a great song, though I slightly preferred "Time Passages". ARCHIVES: BEN - MICHAEL JACKSON - No. Just no. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC - In general, I'm not a big fan of them, but I actually liked this one. 32: STORMY - SANTANA (36) - The first of at least two covers originally done by the Classics IV that hit the chart in 1979 (the other would be Atlanta Rhythm Section's remake of "Spooky"). I liked this version of "Stormy" - not sure if I prefer it or the original. 31: HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCIN' YET - GONZALEZ (27) - Meh, just another disco tune... 30: TOO MUCH HEAVEN - THE BEE GEES (23) - 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 29: SULTANS OF SWING - DIRE STRAITS (33) - The only Top single release from their self-titled album, though I do remember hearing a few of the other tracks on AOR stations. This would probably be my favorite from Dire Straits, who remained a one-hit wonder until the summer of 1985. 28: CRAZY LOVE - POCO (31) - One of two songs that they charted with in 1979. I like both about the same, but neither of them hold a candle to "Nothin' To Hide" - by far my favorite Poco song. 27: I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (30) - 1979 was definitely her heyday, as she had three Top 40 singles that year, and bookended the year with two others. This was possibly the best of the bunch, though "Shadows In The Moonlight" would be a close second. 26: WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE - BOBBY CALDWELL (28) - Interesting how this song was available in limited quantities in red vinyl and heart-shaped. Anyway, this was his only Top 40 hit, but he had a handful of other AC and smooth jazz hits. This song was covered by Go West in 1993, but I preferred this version. 25: BABY I'M BURNIN' - DOLLY PARTON (25) - Interesting that this charted on the Pop, Country, and Disco charts - the first time that ever happened. I liked this song, but preferred most of her other Top 40 hits, as well as a few of her country hits that didn't quite make the pop chart. 24: LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (26) - 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. 23: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (27) - Glad they didn't edit this song like they did the following week - they left it intact, which is good, as it is my favorite song from them - glad this song made it to #1! ARCHIVES: MY DING-A-LING - CHUCK BERRY - Of course this song had many double-entendres in it - that's all I'm gonna say about it... 22: EVERYTIME I THINK OF YOU - BABYS (24) - This was the second of two Top 20 hits from them, and probably my favorite of the two, though "Isn't It Time" would be an extremely close second. 21: EVERYONE'S A WINNER - HOT CHOCOLATE (6) - Wow, people sure got sick of this one fast - the song fell out of the Top 20 from its #6 peak, and the following week, it dropped straight off the Top 40 chart. That's OK with me, since not a big fan of this one, or them in general. 20: DANCIN' SHOWS - NIGEL OLSSON (22) - With such a title, one would expect an upbeat, disco song, but this one is a slow dance song. I liked it. 19: DON'T CRY OUT LOUD - MELISSA MANCHESTER (20) - Her second of three Top Ten hits. This one is my favorite of those. 18: SHAKE YOUR GROOVE THING - PEACHES & HERB (21) - Indeed a comeback hit, as they had charted several times in the late-60s, and the best was yet to come. This song hit the Top Five, and the follow-up, which is my favorite from them, went all the way to the top! 17: THE GAMBLER - KENNY ROGERS (18) - I used to like this song, but that annoying Geico ad that used it a year or so back has actually dimmed my fascination for this song. 16: BLUE MORNING, BLUE DAY - FOREIGNER (17) - The third and final single from Double Vision, as well as my favorite of the three. 15: NO TELL LOVER - CHICAGO (16) - 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. 14: SOUL MAN - THE BLUES BROTHERS (14) - They mainly charted with remakes, this one included. It wasn't bad, but my favorite of their cover versions was, by far, "Gimme Some Lovin'", from the following summer. 13: SHAKE IT - IAN MATTHEWS (13) - 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. 12: GOT TO BE REAL - CHERYL LYNN (12) - A song that was apparently inspired by "Best Of My Love" by the Emotions, since the bass line sounded similar. This was a pretty good song - was sampled twelve years later in Father MC's "I'll Do 4 U". ARCHIVES: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW - JOHNNY NASH - Not bad - I slightly preferred Jimmy Cliff's 1993 cover of this. 11: HEAVEN KNOWS - DONNA SUMMER W/ BROOKLYN DREAMS (15) - As I've said before, "Love Never Felt So Good" by Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson sounded a lot like this song, which was possibly my favorite of Donna Summer's many 1979 hits. 10: I WAS MADE FOR DANCING - LEIF GARRETT (10) - Meh, I preferred his two remakes. Wasn't this used in a TV commercial back in the day? 9: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT - BARRY MANILOW (9) - As we all know, I like most of Manilow's slow songs, this one included although it's definitely not his best. LDD: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN - Very fitting for the dedicaton, and definitely one of my favorite songs by Queen. 8: LOTTA LOVE - NICOLETTE LARSON (8) - A great song from someone who, sadly, passed away at the end of 1997 7: LE FREAK - CHIC (7) - This is a song that was way overplayed, but is indeed a disco classic - in fact, according to AT40, it was the biggest disco hit of all time. 6: TRAGEDY - THE BEE GEES (19) - This song was definitely on its way to the top, as it was in only its fourth week on the entire Hot 100 with one of their best hits ever, IMO! 5: YMCA - VILLAGE PEOPLE (2) - As I've said before, I used to like this song, but it, along with the popular dance to it, got run into the ground big time. Now I generally reach for the station tuner when it comes on - except for on countdown shows, of course 4: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR (5) - The anthem for abused women was poised to take over the top spot the following week. This one used to be so/so, but now is one of my favorite disco hits ever! 3: A LITTLE MORE LOVE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (3) - She just came off of a great year, with three Top Five hits, all from the movie Grease, in which she starred with John Travolta, and started off 1979 quite well also, with another Top Five hit - one of her best! 2: FIRE - POINTER SISTERS (4) - Bruce 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. 1: DO YA THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART (1) - This song was in its third of four weeks at #1. It's not a bad song, but I'll never forgive it for beating out "What A Fool Believes" for R&R's top song of 1979!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 19, 2021 14:04:47 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 20, 2021
This week's presentation - February 20, 1988
CRAZY - ICEHOUSE (39) - The first of two Top 20 hits for this six-member Aussie band. I thought that both this and "Electric Blue" (coming up later as an Optional Extra) were great songs; I liked them about the same. HONESTLY - STRYPER (38) - Possibly THE first heavy metal Christian band to hit the chart. Lead singer Michael Sweet sounds very much like Dennis DeYoung, of Styx, especially in the chorus of this song, which I thought was a great song. CANDLE IN THE WIND - ELTON JOHN (29) - This was one of three versions of this song that I've heard, and my least favorite. I much prefer the original studio version, from Elton's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, which Chicago's Z95 played in place of this live version.
40: LIVE MY LIFE (FROM THE FILM "HIDING OUT") - BOY GEORGE (debut) - One of three Top 40 hits from the film Hiding Out - and this one just barely made it, at #40 this week and it was gone the following week. Too bad, as it was a good song - one of my favorites from Boy George, solo or with the Culture Club. 39: TELL IT TO MY HEART - TAYLOR DAYNE (28) - I had been hearing this one on Chicago's B96 about a month before it hit the chart. Based on the opening synth notes, I thought this sounded like a dance version of Glenn Frey's "The One You Love". This was probably my favorite song from her debut album. 38: I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MAN - PRINCE (22) - Not sure if I prefer this version or Jordan Knight’s ballad version of the song, which charted in the summer of 1999. Both are great songs in their own ways. 37: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL - MICHAEL JACKSON (24) - This was one of the two songs from the album that had a relatively long chart run (as the others besides this and "Man In The Mirror" seemed to zip up and down the chart). I like this song, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, since I hated this song back then. I remember the week this was #1, when I was writing about the countdown highlights in my journal, I referred to this as “another dicky song” (in reference to how lately, there had been many crap songs hitting #1). 36: GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU - GEORGE HARRISON (25) - This was one of those songs. I liked it when it came out the previous fall, but then, after hearing it played ten times a day on the radio, I was sick of it by the time it hit #1. It's not bad now, but still, I prefer most of his other solo hits. Anyway, this was George's first Top 40 hit in over six years, and he picked up right where he left off, as this was a big hit like his last one before this. 35: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR - BILLY OCEAN (debut) - This song would become the top song of 1988, according to R&R. It was a good song - reminded me a little of his 1986 hit "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going". 34: TWILIGHT WORLD - SWING OUT SISTER (debut) - The second Top 40 hit from this band from Manchester, England. It certainly did not live up to the success of their debut hit, "Break Out", as it would peak at #31 the following week, which I thought was a shame, as this was an awesome song, IMO. 33: 835-5937 - SQUEEZE (32) - Ah, the other telephone number song in the 1980s that spawned nuisance phone calls. People would call this number and ask for Angela. But not quite as often as the other phone number song (come on, you know the title), since this song was much more obscure - I don’t think it ever got any kind of airplay after it fell off the chart - here in the states, anyway). 32: ROCKET 2 U - THE JETS (40) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. 31: (SITTIN') ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY - MICHAEL BOLTON (37) - Bolton's second chart hit, featuring Journey's Neil Schon on guitar. It was a good one - I actually preferred this cover over the original by Otis Redding, which was coincidentally also making its Top 40 debut exactly twenty years before. 30: POP GOES THE WORLD - MEN WITHOUT HATS (20) - This was a cool, fun song. I liked it better than “The Safety Dance”, including the single version. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD - LOUIS ARMSTRONG - Of course, this song's inclusion in “GOOOOOOD MOOOOORNING VIETNAAAAAAM!!!!” was responsible for it briefly recharting. It was a great song, and has aged quite well. Anyone remember the version of this song that has Kenny G's sax playing mixed in? That one hit the AC chart around the turn of this century. 29: BECAUSE OF YOU - THE COVER GIRLS (30) - The first Top 40 hit for this freestyle girl group from the Big Apple. I'm kind of surprised that this was all the higher the song got, as it seemed radio-friendly for the late-1980s (and I regularly heard it on B96 back in the day). 28: HYSTERIA - DEF LEPPARD (35) - The second single, and the title track from one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s. It was a good one - reminded me a little of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield, from three years prior. 27: THE MAN IN THE MIRROR - MICHAEL JACKSON (36) - As I mentioned earlier, he was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had three from his Bad album alone, and this would make it four, which was a record at the time. He would secure the record even more with a fifth #1 several months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best. 26: I WANT HER - KEITH SWEAT (34) - He was definitely a big hit on the Black Singles chart, but he had a few pop crossovers. This was pretty good, but my favorite song from him would be "I'll Give All My Love To You", from early 1991. EXTRA: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO - WHAM - Tied to this song was the oft-told story about how this song came to be - a note that Andrew Ridgely had written to his mother to not let him oversleep. 25: BE STILL MY BEATING HEART - STING (31) - Well, ...Nothing Like The Sun may have been his most successful solo album (selling 18 million copies worldwide), but it sure didn't fare that well in the singles department, as it generated only two Top 40 hits (of course, that may have been the very reason it was so successful - less singles = more people buying the album). Anyway, this was the second single, as well as my favorite of those hits (most likely since it's pretty much fallen into obscurity). 24: OUT OF THE BLUE - DEBBIE GIBSON (33) - Her first two singles from the album of the same title peaked at #4 and this song looked like it might do the same, but it managed to climb a spot higher. This was a good song, but I much preferred the follow-up, which would go all the way to #1. 23: I LIVE FOR YOUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (15) - She'd been absent from the charts for most of the 80s as she battled drug and alcohol abuse, but her comeback was certainly no fluke, as this song proved, since it was a Top 20 hit like her comeback hit "Jump Start". Like most of her ballads, I thought this was a great one - definitely in my Top Five of my favorite songs from her, right up there with "Miss You Like Crazy" and "When I Fall In Love" (her own version which was on the same album as this song). 22: LOVE OVERBOARD - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (27) - This was somewhat of a random comeback (as, not counting her vocals on "That's What Friends Are For", she'd been absent from the Top 40 since 1975). I liked this song, but preferred a few of her/their older hits. 21: TUNNEL OF LOVE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (13) - The second of three singles released here in the States from the album of the same name. It was a good song, IMO, though I preferred "Brilliant Disguise" by a slight margin. This is the song that put him in first place in the category of artist with the most Top Ten hits without hitting #1. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES - While Bam-Bam was flopping with his song "Boyfriend", this song became the first hit for this artist, whose real name was Perri McKissack, and one of her most successful at that. I rather liked this song, but I preferred a few other songs from her, including "Mercedes Boy" and her duet with Babyface, "Love Makes Things Happen". 20: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (26) - Well, we all know that there's no such thing here on Earth, since non-stop darkness only occurs in winter in areas near the poles. This song just narrowly missed the top spot, but he would also eventually hit #1 - in fact, he did with his next hit. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him 19: PUSH IT - SALT-N-PEPA (21) - As we know all too well, I’m not a big rap fan, but generally, 80s rap was OK, and this is an example. 18: JUST LIKE PARADISE - DAVID LEE ROTH (20) - The former lead singer of Van Halen would have several big solo hits of his own. This was a pretty good one that we don't hear much anymore. 17: EVERYWHERE - FLEETWOOD MAC (14) - This was the fourth of five singles released from Tango In The Night and the final one to hit the Top 40 (the fifth, "Family Man" only got as high as #90), and my second favorite of the singles, behind "Seven Wonders" 16: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER (19) - This was Cher's first Top 40 hit since "Take Me Home", which peaked at #8 in May, 1979. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred her later songs such as "Just Like Jesse James", "Save Up All Your Tears" and "Believe" to name a few. 15: HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - BANGLES (7) - This song looked like it might hit #1, but it just didn't have enough energy to make it. This song wasn't bad (I do prefer it over "Walk Like An Egyptian"), but I prefer many other songs by the Bangles. 14: NEED YOU TONIGHT – INXS (6) - The first of four Top 40 hits from what would become their best singles album, Kick. I wasn't a huge fan of it, or INXS in general, but they did have a few songs that I liked (this just wasn't one of them). 13: PUMP UP THE VOLUME - M/A/R/R/S (17) - I remember hearing this song ad nauseum on Chicago stations B96 on Z95 (the latter on which the song spent six weeks at #1) back in early 1988. It's good to hear every now and then. 12: I GET WEAK - BELINDA CARLISLE (18) - The second hit from Heaven On Earth. This was a great song and I remember it going through my mind all day when I first heard it, and it didn't annoy me a bit. This is very possibly my favorite of Belinda's solo hits. Too bad it just barely missed hitting #1 like her preceding hit "Heaven Is A Place On Earth". 11: CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM YOU - GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (16) - After the disappointing performance of the second single from their sophomore album, "Betcha Say That", they bounced back quite well with this one, hitting the Top Ten. I liked it, but slightly prefer their song in the countdown this week. 10: I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN - ROGER (3) - I always found this a tad annoying. I can stomach a listen to it once in awhile, but wouldn't like to hear it everyday (like I did back in early 1988) OPTIONAL EXTRA: SOME KIND OF LOVER - JODY WATLEY - This song was pretty good, but pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2". 9: DON'T SHED A TEAR - PAUL CARRACK (9) - He'd had top 40 success as the lead singer of bands like Ace and Mike + The Mechanics, and he even had a few solo hits. This was a good song, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with said bands. 8: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - RICK ASTLEY (11) - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988 during the Casey Kasem era. This was my second favorite of the three two Top Ten singles from Rick's Whenever You Need Somebody album (remember - this and "Together Forever" were pretty much the same song). I also liked the title track, which was a #1 hit in his native England and I believe was on the dance charts in late 1988. 7: SHE'S LIKE THE WIND - PATRICK SWAYZE (FEATURING WENDY FRASER) (10) - The first of two Dirty Dancing hits in this week's Top Ten, proving just how hot that soundtrack was. This was a nice song, IMO - too bad Lumidee had to go and mess it up. LDD: YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO - Here's a song that became popular in the LDD department - in this case, to Walter Payton, a running back for the Chicago Bears who was had retired from baseball from, as the author put it, "his biggest fan". 6: SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER (8) - Tell you what, I liked most of their material, but for some reason, I never really got into this song. 5: HUNGRY EYES (FROM "DIRTY DANCING") - ERIC CARMEN (4) - Here's that other Dirty Dancing soundtrack hit I mentioned. This one marked Carmen's second comeback of the 80s, and this one proved to be more successful than his one in 1985, in that he had two Top Ten hits (the first one yielded a single mid-chart hit). This was another song that never really did anything for me. 4: FATHER FIGURE - GEORGE MICHAEL (12) - He was really on a roll with big solo hits - this was his second #1, and he definitely didn't stop there. I like this song a lot better than I did back during its chart run (in fact, at this point, I was already listening to "One More Try" even though that song hadn't even been released yet). 3: COULD'VE BEEN - TIFFANY (1) - Here's a song that I'd been hearing on B96 since around the time "I Think We're Alone Now" was #1 and I kept hoping that it would soon hit the charts - which it did around Christmastime. And, like her first hit, it went to #1 - in fact, its first week at the top was on the R&R chart dated January 29, 1988 - my sixteenth birthday, so that was a great birthday present for me! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS - This song would peak at #2 in April, just missing becoming the first song with the word "Devil" in the title to hit #1 (and as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet, has it?) Well, anyway, this was my second favorite INXS song from 1988 (behind "New Sensation") but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason. 2: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? - PET SHOP BOYS & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (5) - Meh, for some reason I never really got into this song. One of my least favorites from both artists. This one looked like a sure-fire #1 song, but, thankfully, George Michael leapfrogged over it. 1: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (2) - A rare instance where the final song from an album turns out to be the most successful (I seem to remember this happening a few other times in 1988, by acts like the Jets and Richard Marx). Anyway, this would be my second favorite release from their Exposure album behind "Point Of No Return". This is still one of my least favorite of their ballads - the ones from the next two albums were much better, IMO.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 20, 2021 16:35:19 GMT -5
Hervard-Bet you didn't know that Patrick Swayze could actually sing-He had a decent voice.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 20, 2021 18:12:27 GMT -5
^What's your point?
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 21, 2021 10:24:19 GMT -5
I didn't think that Swayze was known for his singing ability-He was primarily known as an actor.
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Post by mga707 on Feb 21, 2021 11:27:23 GMT -5
Maybe that he would win a karaoke 'sing-off' against Bruce Willis and Don Johnson?
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Post by Hervard on Feb 26, 2021 13:50:41 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - February 27, 2021
This week's presentation - February 28, 1976
Droppers: LOVE ROLLERCOASTER - OHIO PLAYERS (33) - I wasn't generally a fan of them, but this song wasn't too bad. One I remember from back in the day. CONVOY – C.W. McCALL (29) His first Top 40 hit, "Wolf Creek Pass", just made it by the skin of its teeth, but this song, on the other hand, went all the way to the top! Great song - one of the best truckin' song ever! SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT – HELEN REDDY (19) - That was all the higher this song got, but 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.
40: JUST YOU AND I - MELISSA MANCHESTER (debut) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "I Write The Songs" by Barry Manilow (coincidentally, the latter would replace the former at #27 two weeks later). I thought this was a great song - too bad it didn't get any higher than #27. 39: RENEGADE - MICHAEL MURPHEY (39) - If "featuring" was prevelant in 1976, this one's credits would have been about as long as those of several songs that have charted over the past few years, with no less than five featured artists. Several big name country music stars (John Denver, Charlie Daniels, John Denver, and two members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) were heard singing back-up on this song. 38: INSEPARABLE - NATALIE COLE (debut) - This song reminded me a little of her Dad's hit "Unforgettable" which, of course, Natalie herself did a version of in 1991, dubbing in her Dad's vocals. It was a really good song. 37: HOLD BACK THE NIGHT - THE TRAMMPS (40) - Even though they're most famous for "Disco Inferno" from two years later, this was their first hit. I preferred this one, though it wasn't anything exceptional. 36: TAKE IT LIKE A MAN - BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE (debut) - They were all over the charts in 1974, but began to fizzle out in 1975 and, at this point, they were pretty much yesterday's news, as this was their final Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but much preferred their next single, the mellow, bluesy "Lookin' Out For #1". Too bad that song petered out at #65. 35: LOVE IS THE DRUG - ROXY MUSIC (37) - The only Top 40 hit for this English art-rock band. They did have a song that somewhat returned from obscurity when 10,000 Maniacs covered it in 1997. I preferred that one, though this one wasn't bad either. 34: SWEET LOVE - THE COMMODORES (36) - I used to think this one was mediocre, but I've actually found myself liking it better over the past few years - even more than some of their late-70s/early-80s songs. Still, it's definitely not my favorite song from them. 33: SING A SONG - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (22) - They had a pretty good year in 1975, with two Top 20 hits, including a #1, and this third song that peaked at #5 two weeks before. It was not bad, but I preferred many other songs from them. 32: TANGERINE - SALSOUL ORCHESTRA (35) - Typical Philly style disco music - I thought it was pretty good, like their other hit, "Nice 'N" Naasty", also from 1976. 31: CUPID - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (38) - One of three remakes of the Sam Cooke classic to hit the Top 40 - I don't believe I've ever heard the first one, which was by Johnny Nash. My favorite remake is by the Spinners, but this one isn't bad either. EXTRA: GOOD VIBRATIONS - THE BEACH BOYS - Unbelievable that this song, which always makes me thirsty for a Sunkist orange soda, cost 40 grand to make. That would be nearly $200 today! 30: ONLY SIXTEEN - DR. HOOK (34) - Wow, two Sam Cooke covers back-to-back on the chart! I don't remember how the original goes, but this was pretty good. Nowhere near as good as "Better Love Next Time", of course. 29: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN (31) - SCHWING! This song had two chart runs - and it hit the Top Ten both times (on the R&R chart, anyway). But on both that chart and the Hot 100, it definitely hit the Top Ten the first time around and spent a long time in the Top 40! This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Queen. 28: MONEY HONEY - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (32) - Their second hit, and it would be another Top Ten, like their first hit, the #1 "Saturday Night". This song wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to - the only songs by them that I like would be "I Only Want To Be With You" and "You Made Me Believe In Magic". OPTIONAL EXTRA: THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH - THE CARPENTERS - A great rendition of the Herman's Hermits classic that peaked at #4 in 1967. This version did pretty well too, getting as high as #12. Not sure which version I prefer - depends on my mood at the time. 27: DREAM ON - AEROSMITH (30) - Wow, they mercilessly edited this song, going straight from the first chorus to the bridge (the only point in the song where they sing the title). This is definitely one of my favorite Aerosmith songs - I prefer to hear it intact. 26: EVIL WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (10) - Their second Top 40 hit, and it went Top Ten, like the first. I liked it, though it wasn't my absolute favorite from them. 25: TRACKS OF MY TEARS - LINDA RONSTADT (26) - Wow, lots of remakes on this week's chart! This one was originally done by the Miracles, though Johnny Rivers had a slightly bigger hit with it a few years later. Not sure which of the three I prefer. 24: SLOW RIDE - FOGHAT (27) - 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. 23: DEEP PURPLE - DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (28) - The third version of this song to hit the chart and, like the other two, it hit the Top 20. Possibly my favorite Donny & Marie song ever! 22: THE WHITE NIGHT - CLEDUS MAGGARD (24) - Ugh! Nothing more than an annoying ripoff of "Convoy"! Next song, please... 21: SQUEEZEBOX - THE WHO (16) - This was a comeback hit for the Who, as they hadn't charted for three years. This was one of their best songs ever, IMO. 20: I WRITE THE SONGS - BARRY MANILOW (6) - 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. 19: GOLDEN YEARS - DAVID BOWIE (21) - This would be his final Top Ten hit for seven more years (then, he would become more successful than ever). I wasn't a big fan of this song, though it was passable. 18: FANNY (BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE) - THE BEE GEES (20) - 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. 17: JUNK FOOD JUNKIE - LARRY GROCE (23) - This song was recorded at McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, which accounts for the laughing and cheering audience heard many times throughout the song. Funny song, though I'm sure I'd get tired of it if I heard it all the time. 16: SWEET THING - RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (25) - Pretty much your typical mid-70s R&B slow jam - I liked this and Mary J Blige's 1992 cover about the same. 15: BABY FACE - THE WING AND A PRAYER FIFE AND DRUM CORPS (17) - This one had charted in some form or other for the past five decades in addition to this one. It was a good song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING - THE SUPREMES - This song, which was a one-week wonder on AT40 later that year, was played in honor of band member Mary Wilson, who died earlier this month. This is actually the first time that this song, which was the Supremes' final Top 40 entry, was ever heard on the series, as the song's sole week in the Top 40 happened to be a guest host week. The song wasn't bad, but definitely not their best. 14: GROW SOME FUNK OF YOUR OWN - ELTON JOHN (15) - I seem to recall that AT40 alternated this song with the flipside, "I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)". Not 100% sure, but I do know that they played the flipside the week before. Of course, the song only lasted six weeks on the chart - in fact, the song fell out of the survey the following week (which Casey mentioned in a casual way). I preferred "Bullet", but this was a good one too. 13: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO - NEIL SEDAKA (8) - The ballad version of this sixties classic. Of the two, I prefer this one. 12: WAKE UP EVERYBODY - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (14) - The last of four songs that this Philly Soun act charted with in the 1970s. It was a pretty good song. 11: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY - DONNA SUMMER (4) - Um, I'm sorry, but a prolonged orgasm is not a song. 10: LOVE HURTS - NAZARETH (11) - I'm sorry, but a prolonged orgasm is not a song. 9: LONELY NIGHT - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (13) - Well, this wasn't as overplayed as "Love Will Keep Us Together" or barf-inducing like "Muskrat Love" from later on in the year, but it was still nothing exceptional. 8: DREAM WEAVER - GARY WRIGHT (18) - Ah, here's the biggest mover of the week! This was one of my personal faves from back in the day. It has since lost some of its luster due to overplay, but it's still not bad. I do prefer his two other Top 40 hits, though 7: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES (9) - The newest hit from their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album. It was also my favorite from that album - a great song indeed! If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this is the only of the Eagles' Top 40 hits to feature Randy Meisner on lead vocals. 6: YOU SEXY THING - HOT CHOCOLATE (3) - I was never a big fan of this song, or them in general. I did like "Emma", from the previous year, though. 5: DECEMBER 1963 - THE FOUR SEASONS (12) - They had several #1 songs in the sixties, and even managed one in the 1970s which, of course, was this one. It was a pretty good song, though quite overplayed. 4: ALL BY MYSELF - ERIC CARMEN (7) - Eric had been studying classical music at first, then he switched to rock, but he worked both elements into 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DISCO LADY - JOHNNIE TAYLOR - This song was the very first song to be certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. The song was indeed a big hit, but it just wasn't quite my cup of tea (it was quite repetitive). 3: LOVE MACHINE (PART #1) - THE MIRACLES (5) - This song was a week away from becoming the slowest rising #1 song on the Hot 100 - 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. 2: 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER - PAUL SIMON (1) - 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. 1: THEME FROM "S.W.A.T." - RHYTHM HERITAGE (2) - 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!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 26, 2021 13:50:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 27, 2021
This week's presentation - February 23, 1980
Droppers: LOST HER IN THE SUN - JOHN STEWART (36) - The third Top 40 hit for the former lead singer of the Kingston Trio. The song wasn't bad, though nowhere near as good as "Gold". WHY ME - STYX (35) - This follow-up to their #1 hit "Babe" certainly came nowhere near to matching the success of that song, did it? Despite its decent debut in the Top 40, this song only got as high as #26 two weeks before. This was a pretty good song, but I prefer many other songs from them, including said #1 song. WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE – CLIFF RICHARD (32) - He was definitely much more successful over in England, his home country, but he did have a decent amount of success here in the states, with nine Top 40 hits, three of which hit the Top Ten, including this one, which just might have been his most successful - pointwise, that is (it peaked a spot lower than "Devil Woman", but spent two more weeks in the Top 40. I liked most of his hits (that I've heard), this one included.
LW#3: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS LW#2: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN LW#1: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE 40: I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - BONNIE POINTER (40) - Of course, this was a cover of the classic by the Four Tops. However, this version of the song did not do anywhere near as well as the original, which spent a pair of weeks at #1 in 1965, while this is all the higher that this version climbed. I liked this song, but nothing beats the original. 39: KISS ME IN THE RAIN - BARBRA STREISAND (debut) - I'm kind of surprised that this one didn't get any higher than #37 (then again, it might have had it been released about five or so years earlier). I liked it, though it was definitely not her best! 38: THREE TIMES IN LOVE - TOMMY JAMES (debut) - He was on his own at this point, without the Shondells. It didn't take anything away from the song, however, as I preferred this song over any of his earlier songs. Seems that more often than not, they cut the second verse, such was the case this week. 37: OFF THE WALL - MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - The laughs at the beginning of this song sound very eerie - like the kind you hear in a haunted house. 36: I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER - PRINCE (31) - Prince's chart success was almost exclusively in the 80s (and beyond) - he was climbing the charts with this one at the end of 1979, but peaked in 1980 - and then, of course, we all know what happened as of 1983 - he became one of the biggest artists of the 1980s and was successful in the 1990s as well. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. 35: LET ME GO LOVE - NICOLETTE LARSON (39) - This should have been credited as a duet between Nicholette Larson & Michael McDonald, since he is prominently featured on this song. Who knows - perhaps he didn't want label credit. Whatever the case, this was a great song - too bad it didn't get any higher than #35. 34: DÉJÀ VU - DIONNE WARWICK (29) - Interesting that Isaac Hayes wrote this one, but didn’t write the song that he sang - and they’re back-to-back on the countdown! Dionne had recently made a comeback after an absence of nearly five years and, with this song, proved that it wasn't a fluke. I preferred said comeback hit, but this was very close behind, as it was a great one as well. 33: DON'T LET GO - ISAAC HAYES (30) - Ah, the voice of Chef on South Park. I'm not a big fan of his music, however, although this one wasn't too bad. ARCHIVES: GOT TO GIVE IT UP - MARVIN GAYE - I'm generally not a huge fan of Marvin Gaye, but for some reason, I like this one. Kind of a surprise, as this one has been compared to "Blurred Lines", which I still hate with a passion. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES - CHARLIE DORE - Kind of unusual for a female to be named Charlie, though. Perhaps her real name is Charlotte or Charlene. You know what paradise is? It's a lie. It's - wait a minute... But seriously, this was the only Top 40 hit for this London native. I liked it. 32: SPECIAL LADY - RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (38) - One of several guilty pleasures, although I used to dislike this song, but it has gotten better with age. A great song from the band formerly known as the Moments. 31: GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT - CHUCK MANGIONE (37) - Of course, this was the theme for the 1980 Winter Olympics. It was a great song, IMO, as was his hit from two years prior, "Feels So Good". 30: 99 - TOTO (33) - Something you might be asked to repeat when getting a respiratory examination. As for the song, it is one of my favorite songs by Toto - a great one indeed! I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #26 (especially considering that it was a Top Five hit on the R&R chart). 29: HEARTBREAKER - PAT BENATAR (34) - I liked most of her songs, but for some reason, I never really got into this one. It was mediocre at best, IMO (sorry, JessieLou). 28: ESCAPE (THE PINA COLADA SONG) - RUPERT HOLMES (24) - One of two of his two Top Ten hits. Of course, I preferred the other one, but this one wasn't too bad. Has sort of a cheese factor, but it's not as bad as the other pina colada song from the guy in the hat. 27: THE LONG RUN - THE EAGLES (15) - With its early action on the Hot 100 (a debut at #33 and a huge jump the following week), it looked like they would chalk up another #1 hit - and, on the R&R, this actually did make it to the top, but it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100 (which is still good). I preferred this song over "Heartache Tonight", but my favorite single from the Long Run album is the LP cut "The Sad Cafe". 26: DON'T DO ME LIKE THAT - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (12) - With the small chart drops throughout the bottom third of the countdown and the fact that the biggest jump was only six spots up, I figured that the biggest drop would be small as well, but not quite, as this song takes a pretty big drop, especially for such a slow chart. Anyway, like Prince, Tom Petty was definitely an act of the 80s (and early 90s), as up to this point, their only other hit was "Breakdown" - and that only song got to #40. This song would end up being their biggest hit (by themselves) for almost exactly ten years - until "Free Fallin'" outpeaked it by three spots (still, their biggest hit ever was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", on which they teamed up with Stevie Nicks). LDD: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER 25: WONDERLAND - THE COMMODORES (27) - Well, Lionel had apparently gotten over the lady that he lost in the song "Still" and was now wanting to take his new flame to his "Wonderland". I liked this song, but I still preferred many others from them (as well as Lionel Richie solo). 24: HIM - RUPERT HOLMES (28) - Two hits in a row from him (Him HIM) about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed. 23: REFUGEE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (26) - Here's one I remember playing on the jukebox at Pizza Hut, where my Dad used to take my brother and me to every Sunday back when I was in third grade. Still sounds great today as well! ARCHIVES: GONNA FLY NOW - BILL CONTI - Since AT40 pre-empted the regular chart the first week of July, 1977 with the "Top 40 Girls Of The Rock Era" special, this song was cheated out of its week at #1 on AT40. Oh well, stuff happens, right? Anyway, that didn't change the fact that it did indeed hit #1 and it was finally recognized for that right here. Though I preferred Maynard Ferguson's version of the song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FIRE LAKE - BOB SEGER - Today, this would be credited as being by Bob Seger featuring the Eagles, since three members of the band sing back-up on the song (especially near the end, when they sing "Who wants to go to Fire Lake?"). Anyway, I remember listening to the Against The Wind album during car trips in my Mom's new Cutlass, which had a tape player in it. I liked all three Top 40 hits from it, but this was my favorite of them all! 22: WHEN I WANTED YOU - BARRY MANILOW (25) - We all know that I liked most of his hits and this was one of them, though not quite my favorite song from him. 21: FOOL IN THE RAIN - LED ZEPPELIN (21) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including this one, which was their last Top 40 hit before disbanding later in 1980. 20: HOW DO I MAKE YOU - LINDA RONSTADT (23) - With sugar and spice and everything nice, of course! But seriously, this song (also known as the "Transistor Teeth" song) was okies, but one of my least favorites from her. 19: TOO HOT - KOOL & THE GANG (22) - This was their first Top Ten of the 1980s (I count"Ladies' Night" as a 70s hit), and there was definitely a lot more where that came from! This song is my all-time favorite song from them, as well as my #1 song of 1980, according to my Personal Top 30 chart (ruling over "Love The World Away" by Kenny Rogers by a razor-thin margin). 18: SEPTEMBER MORN - NEIL DIAMOND (19) - This one always reminds me of that hilarious Family Feud that was on about this time back in 1980. Anyway, this is a pretty good song, but not quite my favorite song from Diamond. 17: THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (20) - The biggest hit from this R&B band formed by Don Cornelius, the producer and host of SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL TRAAAAAAAAIIIIN. It is also my favorite song from them. 16: THIS IS IT - KENNY LOGGINS (11) - This one indeed got a lot of mileage for a song that didn't even hit the Top Ten, spending sixteen weeks in the Top 40. Heck; later in the 1980s, most of the #1 songs weren't able to log that many weeks on the chart! This was a good song, but not quite my favorite from him. 15: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - PINK FLOYD (18) - Like Led Zeppelin, they were more an album rock act than anything, but they did chart with a few pop hits, this being the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart. 14: AN AMERICAN DREAM - THE DIRT BAND w/LINDA RONSTADT (16) - I know that Ronstadt did not receive label credit, but she definitely deserved it, what with the great harmony she provided on this song! Though both of the Dirt Band's 1980s were great IMO, I preferred this one. 13: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU - THE SPINNERS (17) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd. 12: DAYDREAM BELIEVER - ANNE MURRAY (13) - This was one of my favorite songs by the Monkees and I actually preferred Murray's cover over that one, so that shows how much I liked it! Indeed, 1978-1980 was Murray's best era, IMO! 11: ROMEO'S TUNE - STEVE FORBERT (14) - One of a handful of one-hit wonders that charted during 1980. It may have been the only Top 40 hit for this man, but what a great song it was! ARCHIVES: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY - I had to laugh at the timing of this one! Because I always thought the chorus of this song and "Romeo's Tune" sounded very similar. This was O'Day's only charted hit of his own, but he did write several other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AND THE BEAT GOES ON - THE WHISPERS - One of Will Smith's favorite songs, especially when visiting Miami! As for me, it's not bad, but I preferred "Rock Steady". 10: SARA - FLEETWOOD MAC (7) - The second of three singles from Tusk, as well as the most successful (and my favorite of the three by a longshot!). I especially liked the album version, which AT40 usually didn't play (well, except for on the 1980 year-ender). 9: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS (3) - Ah, the story about Tommy (aka "Yellow") putting the Gatlin Boys in their place. A great song indeed, but I still prefer many others from him. EXTRA: HEY JUDE - THE BEATLES - This one was their longest running song - in more ways than one. It spent nine weeks on top and its playing time was over seven minutes long! I was afraid that this song, with its extensive playing time, might cause several songs to be cut down, but they actually cut this song down, taking out a verse or two. 8: DESIRE - ANDY GIBB (10) - The only song responsible for keeping the Gibbs' streak of charting at least once a year alive in 1980. Based on this song's initial performance on the chart, it looked like it was a sure thing that this song would keep their #1 streak going (Casey himself even said that was likely). Well, that was not to be, as the song only peaked a spot higher. It was a good one, but I preferred others from him. 7: ON THE RADIO - DONNA SUMMER (9) - This is how most people heard the show during its original broadcast But seriously, I liked this song a lot - definitely one of her best! 6: LONGER - DAN FOGELBERG f/JERRY HEY (8) - Of course, Hey was the one who does the majestic sounding flugelhorn solo in the bridge, and that was definitely instrumental (no pun intended) in making this one of Fogelberg's best songs ever! 5: ROCK WITH YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON (5) - Here is a song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all! This is my second favorite single from Off The Wall, behind "She's Out Of My Life". 4: CRUSIN' - SMOKEY ROBINSON (4) - He still had it in the 1980s, as this one hit the Top Five. It wasn't bad, but sounds sort of dated for its time. I preferred the Huey Lewis/Gwyneth Paltrow cover that hit the AC chart in late 2000. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK - Their last Top Ten hit, as well as their most successful. It was a good one, but I think we all know what my favorite Dr. Hook song is (for those who don't, it was the song that charted before this one). 3: YES I'M READY - TERI DESERIO w/KC (6) - A guilty pleasure, as some people I know hated this one. I liked it - much better than his whinefest that started off the year at #1. That song, by the way, dropped off the Hot 100 this week - from the anchor position, no less. 2/LDD: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (1) - It's been a little over two years since we lost Darryl Dragon, aka "The Captain". As we all know, this is my all-time favorite from them. Though it spent but a single week at #1, its longevity in the Top Ten, Top 40, and the Hot 100 helped to place it at #3 on the year-end chart, and deservedly so! It also fit the LDD quite well. 1: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (2) - Queen showed their rockabilly side with this song. It was a good song - easily my favorite of their two #1 songs in 1980!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 26, 2021 13:51:04 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 27, 2021
This week's presentation - February 26, 1983
LW#2: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK LW#1: BABY COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN WITH JAMES INGRAM 40: DON'T TELL ME YOU LOVE ME - NIGHT RANGER (debut) - This was their first hit, and the music style was somewhat misleading, as they were more successful on the charts with power ballads than with hard rockers like this one. I remember hearing this one all the time on WLS back in early 1983, so I'm surprised that this one never got above #40 on AT40. Though it was my least favorite of their charting hits, it was a good one nevertheless. 39: POISON ARROW - ABC (debut) - The follow-up to their debut hit "The Look Of Love". 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. 38: TIED UP - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (38) - She'd been on a roll for awhile there, but this one, surprisingly, didn't get any higher than #38 (so it was remaining true to its title this week). It was a pretty decent song, IMO. 37: MY KIND OF LADY - SUPERTRAMP (debut) - The second of two Top 40 hits from their ...Famous Last Words album. This one has sort of a sixties sound, like the first hit from the album "It's Raining Again". In fact, it sounds a little like a slow version of that song, especially at the end, when it's nearly in the same key. It was a great song! 36: THE CLAPPING SONG - PIA ZADORA (36) - In past critiques, I have mercilessly bashed this song, but recently, I have realized how catchy this song is. After you've learned to appreciate the song as much as I have, sometimes you just can't help but to sing along, regardless of how silly it may be. 35: I'M ALIVE - NEIL DIAMOND (35) - Oddly enough, this song spent all of its Top 40 weeks at #35 - four in all. This song was pretty good - I remember hearing it from time to time back in early 1983. 34: DREAMIN' IS EASY - STEEL BREEZE (39) - Their second hit didn't quite measure up to the success of the first. I liked both songs about the same - I felt this one was way underrated. 33: THE WOMAN IN ME - DONNA SUMMER (37) - A rare slow song from her (slow all the way through, that is - the songs of hers that start out slow and pick up the pace a few bars into the song don't count). It was a good song, as was Heart's remake of it about ten years later. They sounded very much alike, IIRC. 32: I'VE GOT A ROCK & ROLL HEART - ERIC CLAPTON (40) - I wasn't generally a huge fan of his music, but this one was actually a good one, IMO. But that line about getting off on '57 Chevies and screaming guitars can be taken wrong nowadays... 31: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (debut) - Meh, I'm still burned out on this song. But I did used to like it - I even bought the single when the song was on its way up the charts. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LIES - THOMPSON TWINS - The debut single of this English band who were actually a trio despite their name (I seem to remember a story about how that caused a few problems with booking shows). As for the song, it was good, but my favorite song from them was "Hold Me Now", which was also their biggest. 30: MANEATER - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (25) - This was sort of a throwback to the sixties Motown sound (in fact, when Lamont Dozier first heard the opening notes to this song, he thought it was the cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" that Phil Collins had recorded and released around the same time). It apparently worked, as it became their biggest hit, spending four weeks at the top two months prior. 29: SEXUAL HEALING - MARVIN GAYE (23) - Like the above song, this one took a gigantic fall the week before (from #3, in this case), but its parachute seems to have deployed this week. The song, which ended up as the top soul song of 1983, was OK, but I was never a huge Marvin Gaye fan. 28: THE OTHER GUY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (11) - This Australian band had pretty much had their day in the sun - this was their final Top 20 hit and, after 1983, they would not see chart action again (at Top 40 radio anyway). This song was a good one, but I prefer several others from them, including their follow-up, "We Two". 27: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (33) - I don't remember this song from back in the day, as the stations I listened to back then never played this. It wasn't bad, but definitely not their best. I generally prefer their 70s material. 26: ON THE LOOSE - SAGA (28) - I remember this song quite well (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! 25: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (32) - If this sounds like a Phil Collins song, there's a good reason for that - he produced this song (as well as the entire album from which this song was released). Plus, Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals as well). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. LDD: I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN - BARRY MANILOW - This song, from two years before, became a somewhat popular LDD - in this case, from a cancer patient to her town of Bainville, Montana, who put on a talent contest to raise money to help pay for her doctor bills which neither she nor her parents could afford (since they did not have health insurance). As for the song, it's one of my favorite songs from Manilow and I was pleasantly surprised that they played the song intact (as they tended to cut out the second verse more often than not). 24: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (34) - This was somewhat of a comeback hit for Styx, as they had been absent from the chart for about two years. I was never a huge fan of this song, though - one of my least favorites from them. 23: BREAKING US IN TWO - JOE JACKSON (27) - The verses of this song sound a little like "Day After Day" by Badfinger. This was a cool song, possibly my favorite by him (although it’s a close race between this and “Is She Really Goin’ Out With Him”). 22: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (10) - The first of two Supremes covers that charted during the 1983 chart year. The other one was "Stop! In The Name Of Love" by the Hollies, from that summer. I preferred the Hollies song, but this was a good one as well. 21: ONE ON ONE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (24) - This song came very close to topping the R&R chart, but was edged out by “Billie Jean”. I’m kinda surprised it only got as high as #7 on Billboard (then again, it wasn’t as far removed as three songs coming up in the Top 20 that peaked at #3 on R&R yet failed to hit the Top Ten on Billboard). Anyway, of the H20 singles, this was my favorite. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON - This song featured an (awesome) guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. As a result, it was played on AOR stations as well as Top 40 radio. This was my favorite single from Thriller. 20: SEPARATE WAYS (WORLD APART) - JOURNEY (22) - "Rock The Casbah" had recently spent four weeks at #8. This song was also en route to peaking at #8, and would spend five weeks there. And, as we all know, it spent a pair of weeks at the top of the R&R chart in April. This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but had many other songs from them that I preferred. 19: 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 two weeks prior on the Hot 100 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. 18: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (20) - Another great song that the two Chicago stations that I mentioned earlier played quite a lot. That said, it's a shock that this song came nowhere near the R&R chart. Here on AT40, it peaked at #10. 17: ALLENTOWN - BILLY JOEL (17) - This is one of those songs that I spoke of earlier that missed the Top Ten on the Hot 100, but peaked at #3 on the Radio & Records chart. But the song was indeed tenacious. Excluding all Hot 100 chart data past 11/30/91, I believe this could hold the record for the longest peak at #17. It was in its fourth of six weeks there - 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). 16: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (16) - And look here - this is the second of the two #3 R&R peakers. Many people were thinking that this song had peaked already on the Hot 100, as it was spending its third week at #16. Well, it did not, but, despite its impressive debut at #29 several weeks prior, this song only got as high as #12. Anyway, like most of Cross' Top 40 hits, this song was a great one, IMO. 15: HEART TO HEART - KENNY LOGGINS (15) - And we complete a hat trick, as this song had peaked at #3 on the R&R chart several weeks earlier and this week, was spending its fifth and final week at its #15 peak on AT40. This was a great song and, like the Barry Manilow song back in Hour 2, I was pleasantly surprised that they went with the album version of the song, which I much prefer over the single version, which seems to abrupt. 14: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (18) - 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 got in a week on the R&R chart (two weeks later). 13: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY - SAMMY HAGAR (14) - According to my Personal Top 30 charts, this song was the #1 song of 1983, as well as one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. On the Hot 100, the song didn't quite make the Top Ten, but at least it gained enough points to register on the year-ender. I remember hearing this song back in early 1983, since the radio stations I listened to played it often. 12: GOODY TWO SHOES - ADAM ANT (12) - One of several rockabilly songs not involving the Stray Cats that charted around this time period. 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 "Goody Two Shoes". 11: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (18) - 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: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE - I never knew how dirty it was until about fifteen or so years ago, when I looked at the lyrics (since there are times that I couldn’t understand what he was saying). This was the first Top Ten hit from a singer who we lost five years ago. R.I.P. Prince 10: PASS THE DUTCHIE - MUSICAL YOUTH (13) - A rather weird song, but not too bad, I guess. Nothing I'd want to hear on a regular basis, though. 9: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS AND SHEENA EASTON (21) - Wow, with a huge move like that, one might guess this would have a chance at #1, but, in fact, the song didn't even hit the Top Five (but its #6 peak was still not too shabby). 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. 8: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK (2) - This one, along with "Who Can It Be Now", was, and still is, quite overplayed. Too bad the Cargo singles don't get much in the way of airplay anymore - they are far superior to the ones from Business As Usual, IMO. 7: YOU AND I - EDDIE RABBITT WITH CRYSTAL GAYLE (7) - 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. LDD: JUST TO BE CLOSE TO YOU - THE COMMODORES - Wow, this was a pretty heavy dedication, from an inmate in Gatesville, Texas to a woman that he met not long before "the incident" and fell in love with. She promised to wait for him and after he got out, they'd be together. The requested song was "Just To Be Close To You" by the Commodores, one of the last songs that they danced to before he had to turn himself in (as he had a 30-day extension so he could say goodbye to his family and friends). 6: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (9) - This, of course, was the breakthrough hit here in the States from one of the most successful bands of the 1980s! It was also my favorite of their 1983 hits, as well as one of my all-time favorites from them! 5: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (8) - Yes I do, because you played the version of this with the whiny intro. But, since you were nice enough to leave out the annoying bridge, I'll spare you. But seriously, this song, when both annoying elements are absent, is actually a good one. 4: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON (6) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top, a term that began the following week. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years. 3: STRAY CAT STRUT - STRAY CATS (4) - Their second Top Ten hit (following "Rock This Town", which peaked at #9), this one did significantly better, peaking this week at #3. This was my second favorite song from them, behind "I Won't Stand In Your Way", which charted at the end of that year. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE - THOMAS DOLBY - AT40 usually, if not always, went with the album version of this song, but for this week's Optional Extra, they played the single version, which I felt was way too watered down, and features an endless electric drum solo near the end. Fortunately, the song was faded out right at the beginning of that. 2: SHAME ON THE MOON - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (3) - This song, penned by Rodney Crowell, was at #2 both on the Billboard and the Radio & Records chart this week, only it was coming to that point from different directions on both charts. On the Hot 100, it was peaking at that position while on R&R, it was dropping from #1, after its only week on top there. It's a good song - sounds sort of like a laid-back version of his 1980 hit "Fire Lake". 1: BABY, COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN WITH JAMES INGRAM (1) - This was their first of two duets 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.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 28, 2021 7:23:55 GMT -5
Hi,Hervard-I have a slight correction to make:"Bohemian Rhapsody" made the top forty for a third time in 2018-That's when the movie of the same name was released.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 28, 2021 7:26:03 GMT -5
Hervard,you misspelled Miss De Serio's first name-It's Teri.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 28, 2021 7:32:35 GMT -5
Hervard,I noticed another spelling error-The last name of the guy who recorded "Junk Food Junkie" was Groce.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 28, 2021 8:24:39 GMT -5
In regards to the two above mistakes: I get these charts from the oldradioshows website, which contain many mistakes, which I try to correct as I listen to the show. I somehow overlooked those two, which have been corrected (Thanks for calling that to my attention, BTW) As for "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen - As I've said many times before, I stopped believing in the Hot 100 not long after 11/30/1991. As of that time, my chart references are from the two charts AT40 used up to its cancellation in 1995. From then on, I use the R&R chart (up to 2006) and then the Billboard Mainstream Top 40, from then up to the present. IIRC, "Bohemian Rhapsody" never appeared on the latter.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 5, 2021 14:04:43 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 6, 2021
This week's presentation - March 5, 1977
40: GLORIA - ENCHANTMENT (debut) - This was your typical mid-70s slow jam. It wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 39: SOUTHERN NIGHTS - GLEN CAMPBELL (debut) - Campbell had many Top 40 hits, and two of those went all the way to #1, including this one. I like it, but preferred his other #1 hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" from two years before. 38: DO YA - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (debut) - 1977 was definitely a great year for them, as they had four chart hits over the course of the year. Anyway, this song was OK, but it was one of my least favorite songs from them. I didn't mind much that it wasn't included on their Greatest Hits album that I have. 37: FREE - DENIECE WILLIAMS (debut) - This one was a good one. I preferred her Footloose hit, but this one is better than her snoozefest from 1982. 36: SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY - STEPHEN BISHOP (22) - Not bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to "On And On", from later in 1977. 35: RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT - JENNIFER WARNES (39) - The guitar at the beginning of this song sounds quite a lot like the opening of "Crackerbox Palace" by George Harrison, which is coming up a little later in the countdown. I thought this was a good song, but my favorite Jennifer Warnes song would be "Nights Are Forever", an AC hit from the summer of 1983. 34: THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST - ROD STEWART (38) - Originally done by Cat Stevens, this one was covered several times, the most successful one being Sheryl Crow's version, which was the biggest AC hit of 2004. I prefer that version over this one and the original (most likely since I've heard it much more than the others). 33: HOT LINE - THE SYLVERS (31) - 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. 32: SAM - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (36) - This song is sort of a variable for me, since it has ranged from one extreme to the other, although for the past few years, it's been sort of in the middle. Either way, it wasn't her best hit by any means. 31: MOODY BLUE - ELVIS PRESLEY (33) - 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. 30: HERE COME THOSE TEARS AGAIN - JACKSON BROWNE (34) - I was pleasantly surprised that they left this song intact this week (as it seems that they usually edit it). A great song, featuring Bonnie Raitt on backup vocals - very possibly my favorite song from him! 29: SO IN TO YOU - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (37) - 28: BITE YOUR LIP (GET UP AND DAMCE) - ELTON JOHN (32) - The song sure didn't last long, especially on the Hot 100, where it spent only six weeks. This was shortly after Elton revealed that he was gay and his career began to wane (though he did still manage to place at least one song on the chart each year, although he only had two Top Tens in a near seven-year period). This was a pretty good song. 27: I'VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND - NATALIE COLE (40) - This was her biggest hit ever, peaking at #5 and spending 14 weeks on the chart. It was indeed a good one, though I preferred several others from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SILVER SPRINGS - FLEETWOOD MAC - This was actually the original studio version of the song that was originally planned to be on the Rumors album, and ended up being on the B-side of "Go Your Own Way". I thought this was a good song and slightly prefer it over the Stevie Nicks song that ultimately ended up on the album ("I Don't Want To Know") 26: CRACKERBOX PALACE - GEORGE HARRISON (30) - Even though I remember this song from its chart run, I associate this song with 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! Is it me, or was there a sloppy edit right before the instrumental bridge? 25: LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE - SMOKIE (25) - ALICE?? WHO THE F--- IS ALICE?? 24: SAY YOU'LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW - TOM JONES (28) - 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" 23: DON'T GIVE UP ON US - DAVID SOUL (27) - The only Top 40 single for Hutch. It's a pretty cheesy song, but not bad. 22: LONG TIME - BOSTON (28) - Chicago station WLS played this song quite a lot back in the day, and I always thought it was called "Taking My Time", since "take your time" was one of my preschool teacher's favorite sayings when we were working on craft projects. I liked this song, but preferred the other two Top 40 hits from Boston's debut album. 21: HARD LUCK WOMAN - KISS (15) - 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. 20: MAYBE I'M AMAZED – WINGS (26) - Another song that AT40 seemed to butcher more often than not. This week, however, they seemed to leave it intact - or at least didn't edit as much as usual. Anyway, I thought this was a great song - the live version was much better than the studio version from the early-70s, IMO. 19: CAR WASH - ROSE ROYCE (12) - For a disco song, this one was pretty good. I remember that about 30 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. 18: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS (21) - Their first Top 40 hit. I preferred the album version, which I don't believe AT40 ever played. 17: I WISH - STEVIE WONDER (13) - This was first of two #1 hits Wonder had in 1977. It was good, but I preferred the other #1. 16: ENJOY YOURSELF - THE JACKSONS (6) - 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. 15: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE - 10CC (19) - This song sounds like something Queen might have done, doesn't it? Anyway, this would be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits. 14: BOOGIE CHILD - THE BEE GEES (16) - Very interesting story about how a rickety old bridge saved their career (as the rhythm it made when their car was crossing it was incorporated into their comeback hit "Jive Talkin'.) I wasn't a huge a fan of this one. I preferred their Saturday Night Fever hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN I NEED YOU - LEO SAYER - One of three Top 20 hits that Leo charted with during the year. It was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred his other two songs, which bookended this one. 13: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY - THELMA HOUSTON (17) - 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 exactly ten years later (from this week). 12: RICH GIRL - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (18) - 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. 11: GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC (15) - The first of four singles from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. It's my second favorite of the four, behind "You Make Lovin' Fun". 10: WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND - BARRY MANILOW (10) - Like most of Manilow's songs, I like this one. I always thought the final chorus had a majestic sound it it. 9: TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS - MARY MacGREGOR (7) - One of several songs about infidelity that charted in 1977. This one resembles 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. 8: YEAR OF THE CAT - AL STEWART (11) - 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". 7: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (9) - It's a rather rare occasion when my favorite song by a certain act ends up being their biggest hit ever (although it has happened one time each on three of this weekend's shows). Anyway, this is definitely an example. It seems that, more often than not, they did a hack job on this song which, IMO, is kind of pointless, as it's not like it's that long of a song in the first place. Fortunately, they played the song intact this week. 6: NIGHT MOVES - BOB SEGER (8) - 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? EXTRA: LET’S STAY TOGETHER – AL GREEN - This song was played as the last Optional Extra. The story tied to this one is about recently ordained minister Al Green's church services. Those of us lucky enough to catch the 1980s "B" show heard two versions of this song this week - this original and Tina Turner's cover version, which was the beginning of her incredible comeback. I preferred this version slightly - both of them are good, IMO. 5: BLINDED BY THE LIGHT - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (3) - Definitely one of the biggest Springsteen-penned hits ever! This one has held up quite well despite overplay. I just don't like they way that they edited it down - even more than the single version. 4: I LIKE DREAMIN' - KENNY NOLAN (5) - 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 (the following week, in fact) and spent a good, long time on the charts. It's a good song when it doesn't stick in my mind all day, like it has done several times before. 3: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (4) - 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! 2: NEW KID IN TOWN - THE EAGLES (1) - The lead-off single from the album for which the Eagles seem to be most famous. 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! 1: LOVE THEME FROM: A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN) - BARBRA STREISAND (2) - Wow, so many hypnotic songs in the Top Five this week. This is indeed one of them. I always thought Dave Koz’s 1994 AC song “Faces Of The Heart” sounded like an instrumental version of this. Anyway, this is a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know hate this song. Not me! This is one of my favorite Streisand songs and I was glad it made it to #1.
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