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Post by pb on Apr 6, 2021 13:28:58 GMT -5
"I Love LA" by Randy Newman was one of the optional extras on the countdown from 4/2/83-I thought it was on the Billboard "Hot 100"-Unfortunately,it only made the "Bubbling Under" chart where it spent two weeks at # 110. The first single from that album was a duet with Paul Simon called "The Blues." It made the top 100 but was quickly forgotten while "I Love L.A." became famous later in the 80's.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 9, 2021 13:06:05 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 10, 2021
This week's presentation - April 9, 1977
Droppers: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LATIMORE (37) - There were many disco one-hit wonders on the chart this week. This would be a disco two-hit wonder, as he had charted with "Let's Straighten It Out" in 1974. This one had a nice melody. ALL STRUNG OUT ON YOU - JOHN TRAVOLTA (34) - The first line in this song reminds me of a song from the sixties or early-70s - I believe the line I'm thinking of goes "I just can't get her out of my mind", but I can't quite place it. Anyway, this song was OK, but a little too whiny for my taste. GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC (29) - Interesting that their album "Rumors" took a year less to hit #1 than their self-titled album. This was the first of four Top Ten hits from "Rumors", and is my second favorite of those, behind "You Make Lovin' Fun". GLORIA - ENCHANTMENT (25) - This was your typical mid-70s slow jam. It wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
40: SPRING RAIN - SILVETTI (re-entry) - Their only hit song, which many thought was going to be a one-week wonder as well, as it had debuted two weeks back, then dropped out, but it returns this week and would spend a pair of weeks in the anchor position of the chart. As for the song, it was pretty much your typical disco instrumental of its time. 39: MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - AMBROSIA (39) - This one was nowhere near as good as the original by the Beatles. I wasn't much for Ambrosia's earlier stuff; I preferred their last few hits. 38: DANCING MAN - Q (debut) - Hmm, is it me or do this song and "Giving It Up For Your Love" by Delbert McClinton sound somewhat alike? 37: SOMETIMES – FACTS OF LIFE (debut) - The only Top 40 hit by Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie. It's not bad - your typical 70s slow jam. 36: LOVE IN ‘C’ MINOR PART 1 - CERRONE (38) - One of many disco one-hit wonders that charted in the 70s. It was a pretty good song 35: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (40) - This may have been their only hit, but it sure got a lot of mileage on the charts, practically reaching the 20-week mark. I used to like it a little, but not so much anymore. 34: NIGHT MOVES – BOB SEGER (17) - The title track from Seger's album, which I listened to a lot back in the late-70s - it was indeed a great one! This was good, but I preferred Mainstreet from later on that year. Is it me, or was this one mercilessly butchered? Seems to me it didn't last much longer than a minute. 33: TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS – MARY MacGREGOR (16) - Ah, here's another song about infidelity - one of at least three on this week's show. This is another snoozer, even more so than the Hot song. (At least it wasn't #1, like on a recent 1977 show). 32: N.Y. YOU GOT ME DANCING – ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (36) - This was her/their second Top 40 hit, but it didn't quite measure up to the success of their first one, "More, More, More" from the previous year. 31: CALLING DR. LOVE - KISS (debut) - 1976 - 1977 was definitely their heyday, since that was when they had the most hits. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred their two Top Ten hits. 30: AT MIDNIGHT (MY LOVE WILL LIFT YOU UP) – RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (31) - I'm not generally a big fan of them, but this one was actually pretty good. 29: DO YA – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (24) - 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. 28: YOUR LOVE – MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR. (32) - Another act that had two Top 40 hits, like the Andrea True Connection. Their first hit was a big #1 hit, and this one got as high as #15. I liked both songs about the same. 27: COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (33) - Yet another two-hit act. The only difference is, both were big hits that lasted quite awhile on the charts. This was a good song, but I preferred "I Love You", which charted four years later. Now that we know that the early-80s shows haven't been taken out of the mix completely, we just might hear that show on a future 1981 show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AT SEVENTEEN - JANIS IAN - A former member of the "Top 40 Disappearing Acts" countdown that Casey had presented back in 1973. This is the song that relieved Ms. Ian of that status. I know several people who dislike this song, due to the "cheese factor", but I actually thought it was a great one - I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure! This song, by the way, was originally an in-show extra, between songs #15 and #14. 26: FREE – DENIECE WILLIAMS (27) - This one was a good one. I preferred her Footloose hit, but this one is better than her snoozefest from 1982. 25: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (35) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later. 24: DISCO LUCY – WILTON PLACE STREET BAND (28) - Here's another one of the many disco one-hit wonders of the 70s that I mentioned earlier. And it was also an instrumental. It was a good one - a disco interpretation of the theme from a TV show that everyone knows. 23: CAN’T STOP DANCIN’ – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (30) - Well I must say that this one's better than their last hit before this one! Still, it's no "Do That To Me One More Time". 22: THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST – ROD STEWART (23) - 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). 21: LIDO SHUFFLE – BOZ SCAGGS (26) - Definitely one of the hits that I associate with the spring of 1977 (and the station that I listened to played it well into the summer as well). My favorite of his hits! 20: SAM – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (20) - 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. 19: I LIKE DREAMIN’ – KENNY NOLAN (14) - 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. This song reminds me a little of "My Eyes Adored You", which would be no coincidence, as Nolan wrote that one as well. This is a good song - that is, when it doesn't stick in my mind all day, like it has done several times before. 18: I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU – ROSE ROYCE (22) - Their first hit was an upbeat dance number and for the second song, they went with a ballad. It was pretty much your typical 70s slow jam. I preferred "Car Wash". 17: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER (21) - 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. 16: SAY YOU’LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW – TOM JONES (15) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! Heh, just kidding - this one isn't bad, but nothing special either. 15: RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT – JENNIFER WARNES (19) - This song was written by Peter McCann who himself gearing up to hit the chart with his own hit "Do You Wanna Make Love". I preferred this song - it wasn't quite as cheesy. 14: TRYING TO LOVE TWO – WILLIAM BELL (18) - The last of the three songs about infidelity on this week's chart. I preferred this one - the other two were absolute snoozefests. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GOLD DUST WOMAN - FLEETWOOD MAC - This song was a popular album cut and concert favorite from their Rumors album, so many people are familiar with it. I remember that several years ago, they played "The Chain", another album cut from Rumors that still received airplay on AOR stations, as an extra. I'm kind of surprised that "Second Hand News", still another AOR favorite from the album, was never chosen as an extra. Anyway, this was a good song. 13: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (13) - Interesting that this song held at the same position, seeing that it was on its way down the chart. Must not have ben a lot of stations dropping the song this week. Anyway, as I've said many times before, this is by far my favorite song from the album of the same name. 12: MAYBE I’M AMAZED - WINGS (10) - 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. 11: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS (11) - The first of seven Top 40 hits from this band from Topeka. This one didn't quite make the Top Ten, though it may as well have, with all the airplay it got back in the day. Anyway, this was one of my favorites from them. 10: SO INTO YOU – THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (12) - They had a handful of Top 40 hits and I thought most of them were great, including this one! 9: LOVE THEME FROM “A STAR IS BORN” – BARBRA STREISAND (5) - This was the biggest hit so far this year, since it was #1 for three weeks. There was a quick turnover of #1 hits in the first few weeks of 1977, but it was slowing down at this point, and by the latter half of the year, of course, long stays at #1 became the norm. Anyway, this is a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know hate this song. Not me! 8: I’VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND – NATALIE COLE (9) - 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. 7: HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES (8) - This was also one of THEIR biggest hits, as well as one they're most famous for. It's one of my favorites from them as well. 6: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE – 10cc (7) - This song still sounds as fresh as it did back in the day. I never got tired of this one! 5: SOUTHERN NIGHTS – GLEN CAMPBELL (6) - 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. 4: RICH GIRL – HALL & OATES (1) - OK, now this is a great song, but the hack job on this song was pathetic. I realize they say the B-word in this song, but I think the word is only vulgar when you're using it in a derogatory way about a person. In this song, they're referring to a tough situation, in which case, the word shouldn't be considered offensive. But that's just me. Moreover, they played the intact version on all other shows with this song on the countdown - not sure why they didn't edit it back in this week. 3: DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY – THELMA HOUSTON (4) - No relation to Whitney, to my best of knowledge. This was her only big hit, but it was definitely a long-standing one. I liked it, but I preferred the underrated cover by the Communards from ten years later. Glad that they had the song on the jukebox at the local arcade. I played it practically everytime I went there.\ OPTIONAL EXTRA: THEME FROM CHARLIE'S ANGELS - 1976 was the heyday for television show themes, so naturally, there were a few left over in 1977. This was OK, but I preferred many other TV show themes, including many of the ones from the previous year. 2: DON’T GIVE UP ON US – DAVID SOUL (3) - The only Top 40 single for Hutch. It's a pretty cheesy song, but not bad. 1: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (2) - It's a rather rare occasion when my favorite song by a certain act ends up being their biggest hit ever, but this is definitely an example.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 9, 2021 13:06:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 10, 2021
This week's presentation - April 9, 1988
Droppers: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER (37) - One of the most successful comebacks of all time! She had some of her biggest hits during the late 80s and the 1990s. This song was pretty good, but it's not one of my favorite songs from her. WHEN WE WAS FAB - GEORGE HARRISON (33) - Another artist who enjoyed a comeback in 1988, with a #1 song. I figured this one might at least hit the Top Ten, but that was not to be, which is too bad, since this was a great song! I liked this, but preferred his other hit about reminiscing about his Beatles days ("All Those Years Ago"), WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD - LOUIS ARMSTRONG (32) - 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?
40: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS – ALEXANDER O’NEAL FEATURING CHERELLE (28) - The first duet with which these two R&B artists charted at Top 40 radio. We heard their first duet on last week's B show and now we hear their other one. I liked both of them but preferred this one. 39: JUST LIKE PARADISE – DAVID LEE ROTH (24) - 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. 38: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (40) - Wow, a song by my second cousin! No, seriously, I thought this song was a great one. With such a weak chart move, it looked like this one wasn't going to do very well, but it had a rather persistent chart run. I like this almost as good as “So Good, So Right”. 37: WAIT - WHITE LION (debut) - This was one of two Top Ten hits by this band, and this one was by far my favorite - I thought "When The Children Cry" was somewhat depressing. 36: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - FOREIGNER (debut) - I usually like their slow songs, but this one was kind of dull (and I read in another thread that Lou Gramm wasn't a fan of this one either - which had something to do with how under-sung this was). 35: TWO OCCASIONS – THE DEELE (38) - This song used to be the "Nighty Night" song for Open House Party with John Garabedian (is that show even still in production?). I liked it, but preferred several songs that Babyface did on his own later on down the line. 34: PAMELA - TOTO (34) - This was their second hit with a woman's name. I wasn't a big fan of this song, since there was someone in my life by that name that I wasn't too fond of. I definitely preferred their other "woman's name" hit (and so did the Pop audience, as that song spent five weeks in the runner-up position, while this song didn't even hit the Top 20. 33: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (39) - I know three songs by them - their two Top 40 hits, as well as their AC hit "Turn Back The Clock". Not sure if I prefer this song or the AC hit, but I preferred both over "I Don't Want To Be A Hero". For some reason, that one never did much for me. 32: I WISH I HAD A GIRL – HENRY LEE SUMMER (35) - Ah, a fellow Hoosier here! I liked this song, but preferred his next single, "Darlin' Danielle Don't". Too bad that song didn't make the Top 40. 31: GOING BACK TO CALI – L.L. COOL J (31) - Now THIS was back when rap was somewhat tolerable, and not loud and obnoxious! I liked this song, though I preferred his first Top 40 hit "I Need Love". I liked Casey's rundown of rap slang. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WILD THING - TONE LOC - This song, on the other hand, I didn't like quite as much (probably due to its overplay). I never knew that this song sampled "Jamie's Cryin'" by Van Halen. 30: SHE’S LIKE THE WIND – PATRICK SWAYZE FEATURING WENDY FRASER (21) - The only Top 40 hit for either of them. It was a nice song - too bad Lumidee had to go and mess it up nearly 20 years later. 29: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – THE PET SHOP BOYS (debut) - I liked Casey's medley of the four country versions of this song by Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, John Wesley Ryles and Willie Nelson before playing only the second version to hit the Top 40 charts. Of the above five versions, I definitely prefer this one - I like the modern, techno-feel of the Pet Shop Boys' version. 28: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (36) - Meh, I preferred "Touch Me", as well as her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You". I never cared much for this one. 27: FISHNET – MORRIS DAY (30) - A song produced by Jimmy Jam Harris & Terry Lewis. It's a catchy song that reminds me a little of "Fake" by Alexander O'Neal (also a Jimmy Jam Harris /Terry Lewis production) 26: FATHER FIGURE – GEORGE MICHAEL (19) - 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. 25: ROCK OF LIFE - RICK SPRINGFIELD (22) - Many people figured that more would come of Springfield's comeback, since he'd been one of the hottest acts of the early-80s. However, this would be his final Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but I preferred most of his earlier hits. 24: I GET WEAK – BELINDA CARLISLE (15) - She came so close to having two consecutive #1 hits, but this one just missed. This was definitely my favorite song from her sophomore album, as well as one of my all-time faves from her! Casey made a slight faux pas by saying that this song was #29, in the intro. Guess he got the position of this song this week and Belinda's age mixed up. 23: YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (27) - Don't they sound a little like Glass Tiger? When I first heard this song, I knew that Glass Tiger had a new song out and I thought that this was it, but it turned out that it was not. Anyway, I liked this song which is has pretty much fallen into obscurity. 22: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (26) - One of two Top 20 hits for this six-member Aussie band. Both were great songs; I liked them about the same. 21: HYSTERIA – DEF LEPPARD (13) - The title track from one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s, and the first of four Top Tens from it. It was a good one - reminded me a little of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield, from three years prior. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - They definitely had a great chart run, but, as Larry pointed out, this was their last Top Ten hit. Not their best hit, but good nonetheless. 20: ANYTHING FOR YOU (SPANGLISH VERSION) – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (29) - Their first and only #1 hit (though Gloria would log two more #1s billed as a solo artist). I liked this song, but I still prefer a few others from Gloria Estefan, both with the Miami Sound Machine and solo. 19: ONE STEP UP – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (25) - This was a good song. Of course, I've mentioned that this song sounds like something Gordon Lightfoot would sing. It was the third and final Top 40 song from Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love album. In fact, it would be his last Top 40 song for about four years. 18: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – RICK ASTLEY (8) - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988, up until October, when "It Would Take A Strong, Strong Man" dropped from the chart. That song, BTW, was my favorite of his 1988 songs. This would be my second favorite. 17: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (20) - This one was mediocre at best. It paled in comparison to her debut hit "Tell It To My Heart", IMO. 16: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (19) - Wow, two Springsteen songs practically back-to-back on the countdown! Of course, Springsteen himself originally recorded this one - wasn't featured on any of his albums, but it was the B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" (as well as a concert favorite). I actually preferred this version of the song, though only slightly - I like both versions. 15: CHECK IT OUT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (18) - This was the third and final Top 40 hit from The Lonesome Jubilee, and it was my favorite of the three - a great song indeed! 14: (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY – MICHAEL BOLTON (11) - 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 Casey mentioned had hit #1 exactly 20 years before. 13: SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (14) - This song was pretty good, but pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2". 12: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (16) - I don't think I ever got tired of this song. I wasn't sure it was going to be a big hit, due to its weak initial chart performance, but it picked up steam and became their biggest hit ever, a boasting right it would retain for ten more years. 11: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (17) - Is it me, or was there an unusually large number of medleys/drop pieces heard on the countdown this week? Anyway, as you may have guessed, this medley dealt with Beatles remakes. As for this song - though I tended to like her more mellow hits like "Could've Been" and "All This Time", I liked this one - by far, my favorite of her two mid-sixties remakes (since the other one was way overplayed). 10: WISHING WELL – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (12) - Like "Angel", this song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it didn't stop until it went all the way to the top! I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name". OPTIONAL EXTRA: (IT'S JUST) THE WAY THAT YOU LOVE ME - PAULA ABDUL - She was not an established artist when this song first charted (it only got as high as #88 then), but after three #1 hits, she decided to give this song another chance, and it proved to be worthwhile, as it got as high as #2. I wonder what would have happened if she had re-released "Knocked Out", a song that just narrowly missed the Top 40, as well? Anyway, this song was OK, but it was one of my least favorite songs from her. 9: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (5) - 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. 8: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (9) - This one was much more successful than Bam-Bam's "Boyfriend". But seriously, this one was sort of just there, IMO - I didn't like it or hate it. I did like "Mercedes Boy", though. 7: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (2) - This song also narrowly missed the top spot, but the act at #1 was just too strong for him. 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. Interesting story about the endless summer days that materialize in the summer up near the north pole (as there is no such thing as endless summer nights). 6: ROCKET 2 U – THE JETS (6) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. 5: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (10) - Casey mentioned how Whitney's first two albums had each spawned three #1 hits. This one would beat that by one, and it would be her seventh consecutive #1 song just two weeks later, which is good, since this is one of my favorite songs from her! LDD: POWER OF LOVE – LAURA BRANIGAN - Definitely fitting for the dedication, as it was by the favorite artist of the subject of the LDD - the author's future wife. As usual, they played the single version of the song (as I've mentioned before, I think the only time they played the long version was the Charlie Van Dyke-hosted December 5, 1987 show). 4: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (7) - This was OK - my second favorite INXS song from 1988, but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason. 3: OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (4) - This one looked like it would peak at #4, like her first two singles, but it managed to climb a spot higher this week. This was a good song, but I much preferred the follow-up, which would go all the way to #1. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE MORE TRY - GEORGE MICHAEL - This song was just being released this week and would enter the Hot 100 the following week at #40. I remember listening to George Michaels' Faith tape in early February, when "Father Figure" was racing up the chart and when I heard this song, I hoped it would be his next release. And, by jove, my hope came true - and to #1 it went, becoming one of the longest-running #1 hits of 1988 in the process. R.I.P, George 2: MAN IN THE MIRROR – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - You can tell that, in the original version of this show, the final segment contained the top three songs, as the tease for the story to tie-in with this song (Jimmy Osmond being Michael's concert promoter) was heard after the #4 song. Not sure why they split it in half, but whatever. Anyway, Michael was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had four from his Bad album alone, 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. 1: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (3) - The spoken part at the beginning was apparently inspired by "Get Off My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones. But it apparently worked, as it made it to #1 - and was R&R's biggest CHR hit of 1988 - and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite of his upbeat hits.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 11, 2021 13:00:37 GMT -5
Ambrosia's version of "Magical Mystery Tour" was on the soundtrack of a movie called "All This & World War II" which featured archival footage set against a backdrop of Beatles songs that were performed by artists like the aformentioned Ambrosia,Rod Stewart,& Elton John.
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Post by americantop40 on Apr 11, 2021 22:46:04 GMT -5
ALL STRUNG OUT ON YOU - JOHN TRAVOLTA (34) - The first line in this song reminds me of a song from the sixties or early-70s - I believe the line I'm thinking of goes "I just can't get her out of my mind", but I can't quite place it.
I believe you are referring to "Goin Out Of My Head", which was performed by a number of artists, with the Lettermen reaching the top 10 in 1968 using it as part of a medley. The original version of "All Strung Out" to reach the Top 40 was by Nino Tempo & April Stevens in 1966.
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Post by mga707 on Apr 12, 2021 21:57:46 GMT -5
Ambrosia's version of "Magical Mystery Tour" was on the soundtrack of a movie called "All This & World War II" which featured archival footage set against a backdrop of Beatles songs that were performed by artists like the aformentioned Ambrosia,Rod Stewart,& Elton John. ...the soundtrack double LP of which could be found in record and discount store cutout bins for years afterward for about 3 or 4 bucks. Which is where I bought it in 1977. 20th Century Records vastly overestimated the sales potential of that album. Didn't help that the movie bombed.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 16, 2021 12:54:39 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 17, 2021
This week's presentation - April 19, 1975
Droppers: WHO'S SORRY NOW - MARIE OSMOND (40) - This was a cover of one of Connie Francis' three number one songs from the 1960s. It was a pretty good rendition, but I slightly preferred the original. DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU - SUGARLOAF (39) - The second of two Top Ten hits from this rock band from Denver. It was a good one, but I preferred their first hit, "Green-Eyed Lady". LIVING A LITTLE, LAUGHING A LITTLE – THE SPINNERS (37) - Another song that was on the chart for the same two weeks as the Marie Osmond song above. Both songs were only heard on AT40 once, as the week before was a special (the Disappearing Acts show). This was a good song, though I prefer a few others from them. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME – SHIRLEY & COMPANY (35) - Meh, this one wasn't bad, but quite repetitive. TANGLED UP IN BLUE - BOB DYLAN (31) - I'm not generally a huge Bob Dylan fan, but this one wasn't too bad. SATIN SOUL – THE LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA (22) - One of two hits on the past few weeks' charts that Barry White was involved with. He was the leader of this band, who had peaked at #22 the past two weeks with this instrumenta. His solo hit is still in the countdown, coming up later in the Top Ten. This one was pretty good - was my favorite of the two by a thin margin.
40: SHAKEY GROUND - TEMPTATIONS (debut) - They were definitely on their way out at this point, as this was their last Top 30 hit, but what a career they'd had! A total of 37 Top 40 hits, including four number ones. This one wasn't bad, but was your typical roof-raising R&B, and y'all know how I feel about that kind of music. 39: LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT - MAJOR HARRIS (debut) - A former member of the Delfonics, he was a one-hit wonder as a solo artist. This was a good song - your typical mid-70s slow jam. 38: HARRY TRUMAN - CHICAGO (13) - This one was more or less a novelty song (sort of an unusual music style for Chicago), which would explain its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. This was written by band member Robert Lamm shortly after the resignation of President Nixon the year before. 37: SHAVING CREAM - BENNY BELL (debut) - LOL! Funny song! You could tell that it was recorded many years before - sounded quite out of place for 1975. 36: MY EYES ADORED YOU - FRANKIE VALLI (27) - This was his first solo hit to make the Top 40, as all his other appearances on the chart were as lead singer of the Four Seasons, whom themselves would make a comeback later on in 1975 with the #3 song "Who Loves You". As for the song, it's a good one, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with the Four Seasons. 35: BAD TIME - GRAND FUNK (debut) - They seemed to be on a roll, with six Top 20 hits in a row, this one peaking at #4, but after this, they would never again hit the Top 40. Although I liked all four of their Top Tens, this would likely be my favorite. 34: YOUNG AMERICANS - DAVID BOWIE (debut) - This one kinda came and went - peaked at #28 and spent only four weeks in the Top 40. No matter; his next Top 40 hit would fare much better, hitting #1 during late summer. This song was OK, though I wasn't generally a huge fan. 33: BEER BARREL POLKA - BOBBY VINTON (debut) - This may have been the highest debut, but it was the lowest peaking of them all. The song peaked right here at #33 and dropped out the next week. As for the song, I was never a big fan of polka, so it didn't really do anything for me. It was the subject of a hilarious episode of Family Matters (entitled "Chick-A-Boom") 32: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE C0CKER (18) - Meh, you are so boring is more like it. Next song, please... 31: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (19) - Her second #1 song in a row and the second of a total of five I liked both her first two #1 songs (the other being "I Honestly Love You") but slightly preferred this one. 30: AMIE - PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (36) - Hard to believe that this song only got as high as #27 (and spent but three weeks in the Top 40), considering all the recurrent airplay it receives. It was a good song, though I slightly preferred their 1980 Top Ten hit "Let Me Love You Tonight". 29: AUTOBAHN - KRAFTWERK (38) - The sole Top 40 hit for this German synthesizer band. It was a very interesting sounding song, I must say. 28: ONLY YESTERDAY - CARPENTERS (34) - They had hit #1 earlier in the year with their second chart topper, a cover of the Marvelette's classic "Please Mr. Postman", and looked like they might have another one, but this one didn't quite make it. It did peak at #4, which is great also. Anyway, of their three 1975 hits, this one was my favorite by a fair margin. 27: SHOESHINE BOY - EDDIE KENDRICKS (32) - Though not as successful as his former band the Temptations, he did have a decent solo career. This was a pretty good song, though nothing exceptional. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN WILL I BE LOVED - LINDA RONSTADT - It looked like she might have two #1 songs in a row, but alas, this song just barely missed. This was a great one, and was in a horse race with "Heat Wave" as my favorite of her 1975 hits 26: THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY - JOHN DENVER (33) - This song had a somewhat slow start, but it was indeed on its way to the top! No surprise there, however, as Denver was all over the charts in 1975! This was one of two #1 songs he had that year. It was a great one; very lively and fun! 25: POETRY MAN - PHOEBE SNOW (5) - This was her only solo Top 40 hit (she did chart again in a duet with Paul Simon later on that year, and had a few AC only hits). I like the hypnotic effect of this song. This and "If I Can Just Get Through The Night" are in an arm-wrestling match for my favorite song from her. 24: STAND BY ME - JOHN LENNON (30) - One of several Top 40 covers of the Ben E. King classic. Besides this and the original, Spyder Turner charted with it in 1967, and Mickey Gilley's version from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack hit in 1980 (which would be my favorite of the bunch). This one was also pretty good IMO. 23: HOW LONG - ACE (29) - The first of three bands to hit the Top 40 with Paul Carrack on lead vocals (well, technically, it would be two, as he had left Squeeze by the time they had their first Top 40 hit). Anyway, this was Ace's only big hit, but what a great one it was - one of my favorite songs involving Mr. Carrack! 22: KILLER QUEEN - QUEEN (26) - This was their breakthrough smash. It didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it came close. 10cc's 1977 hit "The Things We Do For Love" reminds me a lot of this song. Both are great songs, IMO. 21: IT'S A MIRACLE - BARRY MANILOW (24) - For the longest time, I thought "Copacabana" was Manilow's first upbeat song. I had no idea that he had any of those from so early in his career but, in fact, he upped the tempo for his second hit - presumably to show everyone that he could rock out just as well as he could chill out. Of course, he generally went with slow songs. Anyway, I think it goes without saying that I do not remember this song from its chart run. It was a good one (has a little Motown flavor to it), but my favorite of his 1975 hits was his next release, "Could It Be Magic". 20: THE BERTHA BUTT BOOGIE - JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH (25) - He/they generally did novelty songs (as all four that made the Hot 100 were all classified as such). This song was OK, but a little goofy. 19: EXPRESS - B.T. EXPRESS (4) - Is it me, or does this song sound like "Pick Up The Pieces" by AWB? It was pretty good, IMO. 18: ONCE YOU GET STARTED - RUFUS (10) - Not generally a big fan of Rufus - pretty much the only song I like from them is "Ain't Nobody". I also preferred a few other songs from Chaka Khan as a solo artist. 17: I DON'T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE - PAUL ANKA (28) - Most of his mid-70s hits tend to be on the cheesy side. This one is no exception, but it's still a good song nonetheless. 16: JACKIE BLUE - OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS (21) - This group from Springville, MO had charted the previous spring with the #25 hit "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" and returned a year later with a song that fared quite a lot better, peaking at #3. Of their two Top 40 hits, this is by far my favorite - a great one that I remember quite well (it was played as a recurrent for several years after it charted). 15: LONG TALL GLASSES - LEO SAYER (20) - This was his first of a handful of chart hits. It did well, peaking at #9, and the best was yet to come - two years later, he'd have two #1 hits as well as a Top 20. This song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him, including two of said 1977 hits. 14: SHINING STAR - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (17) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first and only #1 hit. A great song indeed, though I preferred "That's The Way Of The World", from the same year, meaning that 1975 was definitely one of their best years, IMO. 13: L-O-V-E (LOVE) - AL GREEN (16) - Al Green had quite a few chart hits during the early 1970s, including his hit before this one, "Sha La La (Makes Me Happy", which hit the Top Ten in 1974. This would be his final Top 20 hit until his comeback in late 1988, when he charted with his duet with Annie Lennox, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart". This song was pretty good, though I'm not generally a huge fan of his. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SISTER GOLDEN HAIR - AMERICA - This song was poised to become next week's highest debut and would eventually become their second #1 song on the Hot 100. This was my favorite of the two (though "A Horse With No Name" was also a great one). 12: WALKING IN RHYTHM - BLACKBYRDS (15) - This was one of two songs for this soul group founded by Donald Byrd. I vaguely remember the other one, "Happy Music", but I seem to remember that I preferred this one. 11: LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE (7) - This song was the eleventh of a record twelve consecutive one-week number one songs - a record that, to my best of knowledge, still stands today. As for the song, it was a great one, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001! 10: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS - FREDDIE FENDER (14) - Meh, not one of the best hits of the year at all. It's hard to believe that this song made it to #1, as dated as it sounds, even for 1975. 9: EMMA - HOT CHOCOLATE (11) - Though I'm not a huge Hot Chocolate fan, I actually thought this one was really good. Easily my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 8: WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH YOU - BARRY WHITE (9) - Like Al Green, Barry is another R&B singer that I was never a huge fan of. This song was not bad, but it sounded quite a lot like his 1974 #1 "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe". 7: CHEVY VAN - SAMMY JOHNS (8) - He may have had only one big hit, but what a song it was! One of my favorite songs of the entire year! Glad that they played the song intact, as they sometime edited it - which was sort of pointless, as it's a rather short song in the first place (clocks in at a little less than three minutes). With the second verse and chorus cut, its playing time wouldn't be much more than two minutes, if that. 6: SUPERNATURAL THING - BEN E. KING (12) - We heard John Lennon's cover of King's classic "Stand By Me" earlier in the show and now, we have King's only other AT40 era song besides the re-release of "Stand By Me". This was so/so, but I preferred the other one. 5: HE DON'T LOVE YOU (LIKE I LOVE YOU) - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (23) - Wow, not very often that the biggest jumping song of the week is way up in the Top Five! It was pretty clear where this song was going - it would hit #1 two weeks after that and stay there for three weeks - one of the longest running #1 songs of 1975. The song was not bad, but definitely not their best. 4: NO NO SONG - RINGO STARR (3) - They usually alternated between this and the flipside, "Snookeroo", since the song was charting as a double-sided hit, but they seemed to go with the A-side during the end of its chart run, which is good, since I prefer that song (though the B-side was good as well). 3: LOVIN' YOU - MINNIE RIPERTON (2) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!! Well, OK, maybe it's not that bad, but it's just so CHEESY!! OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE IMMIGRANT - NEIL SEDAKA - Definitely one of his most underrated hits ever! Lulu apparently thought so as well, as her hit from six years later "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)" was a dead ringer for that song (in the choruses). 2: ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG - B.J. THOMAS (6) - One of two #1 songs for Mr. Thomas. It's pretty good, but I preferred the other one, which topped the chart five years before. My favorite song by him of all time would be "Hooked On A Feeling". 1: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM - ELTON JOHN (1) - Here is the song that, this week, put an end to the twelve-week revolving door of one-week #1 hits (a record that, to my best of knowledge, still stands today), by spending two weeks on top - just like his last song, whose second week at #1 was the week before said revolving door began. Anyway, this song was OK, but it was quite overplayed (and still pops up regularly on oldies stations). I preferred many other hits from him, including many of his 1975 chart hits.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 16, 2021 12:54:52 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 17, 2021
This week's presentation - April 15, 1978
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL (39) - The first of four releases from one of The Stranger, one of Joel's best singles albums ever. Did they ever play the full album version of this song during its chart run? (I'm fairly sure I remember them playing that one as a LDD one time). BOOGIE SHOES - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (35) - Given the fact that this was from an immensely popular soundtrack, as well as who sang it, I'm surprised that this song didn't get any higher than #35. Not that I mind, as I was never a huge fan of this song - mediocre at best. THE CIRCLE IS SMALL - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (33) - The last Top 40 hit for this great Canadian folk singer that I was lucky enough to see in concert - from practically in the front row, no less. Definitely one of his best, and quite underrated. However, Lightfoot had already had his day in the sun back in the early and mid-70s. Had he released this around 1974 or so, it might have hit the Top Ten. Their only Top 40 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. I liked this song a lot - too bad it didn't have a little more oomph in it so it would have hit the Top Ten. FALLING - LEBLANC & CARR (31) - Their only Top 40 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. I liked this song a lot - too bad it didn't have a little more oomph in it so it would have hit the Top Ten.
40: ROCKET RIDE - KISS (debut) - Meh, not one of their best songs by any means. 39: MORE THAN A WOMAN - TAVARES (debut) - Of course, the Bee Gees version of this song was the more well-known one and is the one that gets virtually all the recurrent airplay on oldies stations. The release of that version was cancelled to give this one a chance (although some people suspect that it was to keep the Bee Gees' streak of #1 hits intact, but that's another story for another time). This was a good song, but I preferred the Bee Gees' version which, despite no single availability, did peak at #21 on the R&R chart in May. 38: LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN - SWEET (debut) - They had five Top 40 hits, all reaching the upper half of the chart. This one was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad - reminded me of something that ELO would do. 37: MOVIN' OUT - BILLY JOEL (debut) - As the first release from The Stranger leaves the survey, the second replaces it this week. All four songs were great, IMO - I like them about the same, though in different ways. 36: BABY HOLD ON - EDDIE MONEY (40) - The Money Man's breakthrough hit here. The song didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but gets a significant amount of recurrent airplay. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from him! 35: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS (28) - This song was in its final week in the Top 40, but what a chart run this song had! It spent nearly a half a year in the Top 40 and was a few weeks away from becoming the longest running song on the Hot 100 - an even 40 weeks! Casey mentioned that this was the slowest rising Top Ten hit of the rock era - well, up to that point, anyway; I have no idea whether or not it's been beaten. Remember, I don't care about anything that happened after November 30, 1991. Anyway, this was a great song, but I preferred a few others from him. 34: FANTASY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (38) - Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this song. You see, I do like it a lot, but about this time last year, I was going through some real stressful times and on one of those days, this song, for some reason, kept playing in my head (might have heard it on the AT40 iHeartRadio site). I haven't heard it but a time or two since then, so I need to learn to disassociate this song from said stressful era. 33: WHICH WAY IS UP - STARGARD (21) - Why, it's the only way, according to songwriters George Jackson and Johnny Henderson. But seriously, this was pretty much your typical late-70s R&B disco, and I think we all know all too well my general opinion on that... 32: THIS TIME I'M IN IT FOR LOVE - PLAYER (37) - Their second of their three Top 40 hits, and the second biggest as well, peaking at #10. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Baby Come Back". 31: TWO DOORS DOWN - DOLLY PARTON (36) - The follow-up to what is possibly my favorite song from her, "Here You Come Again". This song, on the other hand, isn't anything special IMO. Not sure why; it just never did anything for me. 30: FOOLING YOURSELF - STYX (34) - The instrumental intro to this song was used for LaPorte High School's exclusive radio show "Slicer News & Views" (aired on our local station on Sunday afternoons). When I took radio class in my sophomore year, my voice was heard a few times introducing that very program! As for this song, well, it wasn't one of their biggest hits ever, but it was definitely a popular album rock hit. I liked it. 29: I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING - RUBICON (32) - I don't remember hearing this song at all back in 1978, but have heard it many times since, mainly on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. It's a great song! 28: ALWAYS & FOREVER - HEATWAVE (18) - One of the best love songs of all time, and by far my favorite of their three hits (the other two were disco songs that sounded very much alike). 27: THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON (9) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHADOW DANCING - ANDY GIBB - This song, of course, was on its way to becoming the top song for all of 1978. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite Andy Gibb song won out for the year before, so it's all good). 26: DISCO INFERNO - THE TRAMMPS (29) - Burn, baby burn! For a disco song, this was actually not bad. One of seven hits from the Saturday Night Fever that hit the charts. That has to be some kind of record. 25: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD (26) - He didn't quite match the chart success of "Lonely Boy" with this one, but the song did become quite popular in the LDD department, until the mid-80s, when other songs like "That's What Friends Are For" came along and stole its thunder. This is sort of the same scenario as Chuck Mangione, as Gold had two Top 40 hits that I liked so much that I'm undecided on which song I preferred. 24: LADY LOVE - LOU RAWLS (24) - He may have had more than two Top 40 hits, but this and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" are the only two songs that I've heard from him (that I know of, anyway). And, yes, both are great songs IMO and I'm unsure which is my favorite of the two. Interesting story about his experience in the army and his misinterpretation of the term "airborne", which he thought meant traveling by airplane - he found out the hard way what it REALLY meant! 23: BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT - GENE COTTON (23) - Short, but sweet. This song's playing time was only two and a half minutes long, but what a great song it was - about a love affair that was ending and him advising her to make a clean break for it. 22: IMAGINARY LOVER - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (27) - Amazing how speeding up this song a bit turns it into a different artist No, seriously, I like most of ARS' Top 40 hits, this one included. 21: FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE (25) - The first of two hits he placed on the Top 40 (and the last one was heard on a 1980 show back in February). Not sure which one I preferred, but both are great songs, IMO! 20: SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (22) - This was definitely one of my personal faves from them and one I remember quite well from its chart run. Too bad they cut out the second verse. 19: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (30) - The first of two duets from Grease that they charted with, as well as one of two #1 hits from the soundtrack (the title track, which hit the chart that summer, was the other). I like both duets about the same - it depends on my mood at the time. Regardless, both are great songs. 18: FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT (20) - On the show from the week before, this was the only song in the Top 20 that I didn't particularly care for. Such is the case this week, as the two new entries in the Top 20 are both great ones. 17: LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB (8) - As his new song was getting started, debuting on the Hot 100 at #69, his older song, which had been on the survey since before Christmas time, was on its way down, but it was able to hold in the Top 40 for two more weeks. This was the first of three #1 songs in a row for Gibb. It wasn't quite as good as "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", but I prefer it over "Shadow Dancing". 16: COUNT ON ME - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (19) - This would be their first Top Ten hit in nearly three years. Marty Balin was still singing lead at this point, and this is my favorite song of theirs with him on lead. 15: GOODBYE GIRL - DAVID GATES (16) - The theme song from the Richard Dreyfuss movie of the same title. This was IMO just as great as many of his other songs that he did with Bread. 14: EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH (14) - This is one of few songs that mentions the title only in the bridge and not any other time in the song. Of Welch's two Top 40 hits, I preferred "Sentimental Lady", but this one was a good one as well. 13: RUNNIN' ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE (15) - Given its early chart action, this song looked to be Top Ten bound, but unfortunately, the song just barely missed, peaking at #11. Too bad, as it was definitely one of my favorite Jackson Browne songs and one I remember quite well from back in the day. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S A HEARTACHE - BONNIE TYLER - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. 12: WITH A LITTLE LUCK - WINGS (17) - I was pleasantly surprised to hear the full album version of this song. Perhaps they crammed fourteen songs into the first two segments in order to do that. This is one of at least two shows where they played the long version of this song - the other was one of its number one weeks in May, I believe. Other than that, they usually edited the song - sometimes severely. As for this song, it was definitely one of my favorite songs from Wings. 11: EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG (6) - 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 (and, if it had been put on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (which had been considered), it might have gone all the way. It was a good song. 10: OUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (11) - Her last Top Ten hit before she went on a hiatus that lasted for the better part of the 1980s, when she ran into many personal problems, including drug addiction. This was one of her best hits of the 1970s. 9: WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE AGAIN - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (12) - This song had an unusually short chart run for a song that hit the Top Ten - not sure why it zipped up and down the chart so fast - perhaps because it sounded so much like "Goodbye Girl"? Anyway, they had a handful of hits on the chart and all of them were great songs. 8: JACK & JILL - RAYDIO (10) - This song contains one of the funniest misheard lyric near the end ("He got down on his right knee", which is sometimes heard as "he got down on his Granny". As for the song itself, it's a great one - possibly my favorite songs from him/them. 7: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY (13) - The last of three duets between these two. This was the biggest of their collaborations, making it to #2 on the charts in May. It is also my favorite of the two songs I've heard from them (as I have yet to hear their version of "You've Got A Friend" - maybe I'll hop on over to YouTube and check it out). 6: DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS (7) - A song with a vaguely haunting melody. It was another great song that I remember quite well! 5: IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN (5) - This song was stalled out at #5, but it would hit the top a month later, becoming the first #1 song since January that was not by Andy Gibb or the Bee Gees (although the Bee Gees did write the song and recorded a version of it, putting it on the B-side of "Stayin' Alive"). It was possibly my favorite song on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and easily my favorite song from Yvonne - a great song indeed! 4: CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW (4) - For awhile, this song looked to be heading for #1 (I seem to remember that, at one point, Casey said something to that effect), but it was not to be - basically, during the winter and spring of 1978, if you weren't the Bee Gees or involved with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (or at least on the RSO label), you were pretty much SOL as far as hitting the top was concerned. But it did get as high as #3, which is great too. As for the song, it was a good one - became the subject of at least two touching LDDs a few years later. 3: LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON (3) - One of several Top 40 hit by Clapton 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”... OPTIONAL EXTRA: BECAUSE THE NIGHT - PATTI SMITH GROUP - I'm more familiar with the 1993 cover of this song by 10,000 Maniacs, which doesn't sound all that different from this one (except for one of the chords in the chorus). Not sure which of the two I prefer, but, due to overplay of the cover, I'm still burned out on the song overall. 2: STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES (2) - The first of two songs from them on this week's chart (but they were involved with quite a few others). This was my favorite song of theirs on the chart, but my favorite from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be "How Deep Is Your Love". 1: NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES (1) - And here they are again! This set a record by becoming the fifth consecutive #1 song for the RSO record label - a record that would be further secured in May when "If I Can't Have You", also on the RSO label, topped the chart). Moreover, I seem to remember that RSO became the label with the most #1s (or at least weeks at #1 - perhaps both) in a calendar year. As for my opinion of the two above songs, I preferred the Bee Gees' other two SNF hits over this song, which was still a pretty good one as well.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 16, 2021 12:55:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 17, 2021
This week's presentation - April 20, 1985
Droppers: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY (40) - Their first Top Ten hit since "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" exactly two years before (although lead singer Steve Perry had a Top Ten hit in the year between). From the Vision Quest soundtrack, this song had peaked at #9 the previous month. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite song from them. CARELESS WHISPER - WHAM! (35) - No big loss here. As we all know (all too well, I'm sure), 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 when this song played 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! LUCKY - GREG KIHN (33) - He had two Top 20 hits with his band, but couldn't seem to cut it as a solo artist, as this, his only solo Top 40 hit, barely made it into the Top 30. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred "Jeopardy". KEEPING THE FAITH - BILLY JOEL (32) - Many people thought he was done putting out hits from An Innocent Man, as it had been 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. Even though this fell out, it was still heard on this week’s show as a LDD. PRIVATE DANCER - TINA TURNER (24) - She was definitely hotter than ever at this point, as this, the title track from her current album, had recently become her third consecutive Top Ten hit. It was a good one - not sure which of the Private Dancer singles I prefer. THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY (23) - Of the four Top 40 hits from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, this was the most successful, as it peaked at #2, held out of #1 by "Can't Fight This Feeling", which is coming up later in the countdown. This song was not bad, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles.
40: WALKING ON SUNSHINE - KATRINA AND THE WAVES (debut) - This band had several Top 40 hits, but this is definitely their most memorable (as well as the only one that most people remember). It was my favorite of their hits, but the others were also great. 39: CELEBRATE YOUTH - RICK SPRINGFIELD (debut) - He was pretty much a has-been at this point. His album Tao spawned only two singles, neither of which hit the Top 20. I preferred the other single, "State Of The Heart" by a fair margin. This song wasn't bad, but I can kinda see why it peaked so low (other than the fact that Springfield had already had his day in the sun). 38: ONE LONELY NIGHT - REO SPEEDWAGON (debut) - After they'd had a big #1 earlier in the year, I figured that this song, their second hit from Wheels Are Turnin' (as well as another personal favorite of mine) would hit the Top Ten, but it only got as high as #19 (which isn't bad either). Their biggest pop success was definitely in 1981, with Hi Infidelity. 37: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER - HOWARD JONES (debut) - This song and Billy Joel's hit from later that summer, "You're Only Human", both had similar messages. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer. 36: THE BIRD - THE TIME (36) - A popular method of responding to someone who just cut you off in traffic. 35: JUST A GIGOLO/I AIN'T GOT NOBODY - DAVID LEE ROTH (debut) - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing only four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits. I prefer this to Roth's cover of “California Girls”. 34: FRESH - KOOL & THE GANG (debut) - This was the second of four hits from the album Emergency (in fact, three of them hit the Top Ten - ironically, the only one that did not was the title track). This was my favorite of that album's singles. 33: VOX HUMANA - KENNY LOGGINS (37) - This one was a little weird. I can see why it tanked so fast. I prefer many others from him, such as the follow-up "Forever", which was a one-week wonder later that summer (and hit the Top Five on the AC chart). 32: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON (20) - Well, then is it early enough for helloes? No, seriously, this was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his singles. LDD: WE BELONG - PAT BENATAR - She never quite made it to #1, but this was one of her biggest hits ever. I like it, but prefer several others from her. 31: HIGH ON YOU - SURVIVOR (19) - They were in the midst of their second wave of popularity. Their first, in the early-80s, had yielded them three Top 40 hits, including their monster #1 smash "Eye Of The Tiger". After being absent from the Top 40 for two years, they were back with their album Vital Signs, which yielded them three Top 20 hits. I liked this one, but preferred the other two, especially "I Can't Hold Back", which remains one of my favorite songs from them of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SMUGGLER'S BLUES - GLENN FREY - As his soundtrack hit from Beverly Hills Cop exits the chart, this one, another soundtrack hit (from the TV series Miami Vice), was two weeks away from hitting the chart. Though it didn't match up to the success of "The Heat Is On", the song did manage to hit #12, which isn't half bad either (and his other hit from Miami Vice) would match the peak of the former later that fall. Of Frey's three 1985 hits, this one would be my favorite. 30: AXEL F - HAROLD FALTERMEYER (39) - The first of three instrumentals to hit the Top 40 in 1985 (not sure when the last time that many instrumentals charted within a year's time - possibly 1982, which was the last time any instrumentals hit the Top 40). I remember that sometimes, I'd shadowbox in time to the music of this song. Not sure why; just one of many weird things I did as a young teenager. 29: SUDDENLY - BILLY OCEAN (38) - To many Billy Ocean fans, it's pretty common knowledge that an incident associated with this song actually inspired one of Ocean's hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", which hit #1 the following summer. Both songs are great, IMO, and among my personal faves from Ocean. 28: RADIOACTIVE - THE FIRM (28) - 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. 27: FOREVER MAN - ERIC CLAPTON (31) - This song was a #1 Album Rock hit, but here on the Top 40 chart, the song only got up to #26. It was a pretty good song - one I remember hearing from time to time during the spring of 1985. 26: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS (34) - The first of three big hits for TFF in 1985. This song went all the way to #1 and is my second favorite, behind "Head Over Heels". 25: JUST ANOTHER NIGHT - MICK JAGGER (16) - Of course, he had been singing lead with the Rolling Stones (who were still together and not done hitting the charts), but he had a few solo hits, including this, which was his biggest hit on his own (his biggest was the aforementioned "Dancing In The Street" with David Bowie). 24: NEW ATTITUDE - PATTI LABELLE (29) - A great and very positive sounding song that reminds me of the revelation I had back in June, 2009 about developing a more positive attitude than I'd had previously. There is still room for improvement, but I've been told by several people that they've noticed the change. 23: CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING - REO SPEEDWAGON (13) - 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 song, which was one of my all-time faves from them, had just come off of a three-week run at #1, though, with more weeks in the Top Ten and Top 40, their 1981 hit #1 "Keep On Lovin' You", which spent a single week at #1, was their biggest hit (of course, inasmuch as the charts did not move as fast in 1981 as they did in 1985, that may not be a fair comparison). 22: ROCK AND ROLL GIRLS - JOHN FOGERTY (27) - Once the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he was on his own at this point, and doing quite well. The first two songs from Centerfield hit the Top 20, including this one. I preferred the title track, which I'm surprised never hit the Top 40 (could have to do with the fact that it was the flipside to this song). 21: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (26) - Their Big Bam Boom album was their third in a row to be certified multi-platinum. This was the third single from it, and it would peak at #18. I'm thinking it might have peaked higher had it been released a few years earlier, as it sort of had an early-80s sound to it (in fact, the choruses reminded me a little of the verses of "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply). I thought it was a good song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL - Of course we all know that this guy was the lead singer of Kajagoogoo, whose only hit "Too Shy" I think we know all too well I hate with a passion. This one, on the other hand, was a great song! 20: DON'T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (25) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. I preferred his early-80s hits. 19: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (30) - This was not only their third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. This was my favorite of the three. 18: SOMEBODY - BRYAN ADAMS (14) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles released from it kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the second of them. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including a few from the same album. 17: THAT WAS YESTERDAY - FOREIGNER (21) - This song was nicely progressing up the chart, looking like it might be another Top Ten. However, the song fell short, peaking at #12. It did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart and was played regularly on the stations I listened to (especially U93, which played it well into the summer). It was easily my favorite of their two 1985 hits, as well as possibly my favorite song from them of all time! 16: SMOOTH OPERATOR - SADE (22) - Their debut hit, which became one of their biggest, peaking at #5 in May. It wasn't one of my favorites back in the day, but now I think it's a great one! 15: LOVERGIRL - TEENA MARIE (8) - Often regarded as a one-hit wonder, "Lovergirl" was actually Teena's second hit. Her first, "I Need Your Loving", peaked at #37 in early 1981. This song fared much better, reaching its peak this week at #4. This song is pretty good, though I do remember disliking this song during its chart run. 14: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (18) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them.. 13: MATERIAL GIRL - MADONNA (5) - I think it's an understatement that 1985 was a great year for Madonna. She had a ton of hits on the chart that year. This and her latest hit, "Crazy For You" were in the Top Five at the same time over the past two weeks - the first time that a female artist had performed that feat since the summer of 1979. This was my least favorite of her 1985 hits, but it was still a good one. 12: SOME LIKE IT HOT - THE POWER STATION (17) - One of several Duran Duran side projects. This song was OK, but I generally preferred Duran Duran, including their then-new song "A View To A Kill", which would debut on the Hot 100 the following week and go on to hit #1 that summer. 11: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE - DON HENLEY (15) - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me. 10: MISSING YOU - DIANA ROSS (10) - The first of two tributes to the late Marvin Gaye, who had an even 40 Top 40 hits, 24 of them during the "Beatle Years", making him the biggest solo artist of that era. This was my favorite of the two tributes. OPTIONAL EXTRA: VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY - The first of two Top 40 hits from this band from Boston. It was a good one, though I preferred their other Top 40 hit (which was quite underrated, I must say), "What About Love". 9: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK - MURRAY HEAD (12) - As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! They usually edited this one (heavily at times), but they seemed to play the song intact this week. 8: DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) - SIMPLE MINDS (11) - Their first four hits sounded very much alike, IMO. This was my least favorite of the four (probably since it was way overplayed). I do like the movie from which it came, The Breakfast Club. 7: OBSESSION - ANIMOTION (9) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989. 6: I'M ON FIRE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (6) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which was peaking at #6 for a second week. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA. LDD: KEEPING THE FAITH - BILLY JOEL - I already commented on this song earlier, but I must say that was quite a LDD. I’m kind of surprised that the author didn’t choose “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson as the dedication song as it was the song instrumental in bringing the young girl out of a coma. (The dedication was actually TO Michael Jackson). 5: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DEBARGE (7) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3 the following week. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6 that summer. 4: ONE MORE NIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (2) - The first single from Phil Collins' aforementioned 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 (not to mention blocking a big name like Madonna from the top spot). 3: NIGHTSHIFT - COMMODORES (4) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes that I mentioned earlier (and both were in the Top Ten to boot), only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAVEN - BRYAN ADAMS - This was the first of three #1 hits for Adams (sure seems like he had more, doesn't it?) I'm glad that this got a second chance on the charts (as when it was first released the year before, from the box office bomb "A Night In Heaven", it went nowhere). 2: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA (3) - With a multi-million selling benefit song at the top, it looked like this might be all the further the song got, thus cheating Madonna out of a #1 hit two times in a row, but the song did manage a week at #1. The song was #1 for two weeks on the R&R chart and went on to become the biggest song of the year, and deservedly so, as it was such a great song! 1: WE ARE THE WORLD - USA FOR AFRICA (1) - One of the biggest selling singles ever, and for a great cause - aiding in famine relief in Ethiopia. I did get tired of the song back in the day, both from radio airplay and rehearsing it almost every day for our spring choir concert in 7th grade, but it's great to hear it every now and then.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 16, 2021 20:56:37 GMT -5
"Shaving Cream" was recorded in 1946-Legendary radio host/musicologist Barry Hansen better known as Dr.Demento,came across the record at a thrift shop-He started playing the song on his weekly show-Listener response was overwhelming-Eventually,Vanguard Records purchased the master & released it-It became the oldest song to make the Billboard "Hot 100"-Unfortunately,"Shaving Cream" stalled at # 30-It recieved a smattering of radio airplay across the country-In the NY metropolitan area,the now defunct WNBC was the only station that played it-That's because they aired Dr.Demento's program at the time.
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Post by mga707 on Apr 16, 2021 21:07:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 17, 2021
This week's presentation - April 19, 1977
You've got a 'typo' there--off by two years.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 16, 2021 21:26:54 GMT -5
Hey,Hervard,you made a mistake with your critique of "Along Comes A Woman" at # 14.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 17, 2021 8:54:21 GMT -5
^Both of the above errors have been corrected.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 23, 2021 12:58:36 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 24, 2021
This week's presentation - April 24, 1976
Droppers: ALL BY MYSELF – ERIC CARMEN (33) - His debut hit, and, statistically, it was his biggest. It was a great one, IMO, though I did prefer "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again", which would chart later on that summer. LOVE MACHINE PART 1 – THE MIRACLES (26) - This song definitely got a lot of mileage on the chart. It had been on for 19 weeks and looked like it might make it an even 20, but there was a strong barrage of new hits on their way up and, this, in fact, was one of the lowest ranked songs on this week's countdown that would drop off the next week. As for my opinion of the song, it was pretty good, but I preferred their songs with Smokey Robinson. TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES (23) - Great song! One of their absolute best, with a rare lead vocal by Randy Meisner. ACTION - SWEET (20) - This song was pretty good, but sounded kind of like a 90s alternative rock song - sounded out of place on a 1976 show. DEEP PURPLE – DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (18) - 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!
40: MORE MORE MORE (PART #1) - ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (debut) - The first and biggest of their two Top 40 hits, which would be sampled by the Canadian Rock Band Len in "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. I forget how their other song, "NY, You Got Me Dancing" goes, so I can't really say which one I like best. 39: CAN'T HIDE LOVE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (debut) - After a great 1975, with two Top 10 hits, including a #1, the band was now in somewhat of a slump (as this is where this song peaked), but would come back a few years later bigger than ever. This song was OK, but I preferred other songs by them like “That’s The Way Of The World” and “September”. 38: YOUNG BLOOD - BAD COMPANY (debut) - They sounded a little like Elvis in this song (although the original of this was done by the Coasters). It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their other hits. 37: HAPPY DAYS - PRATT & McCLAIN (debut) - 1976 was indeed the year for TV show themes, as many of those hit the chart over the year. This was one of my favorite TV shows, and definitely a long lasting one - wasn't it on the air for ten years? 36: SHOUT IT OUT LOUD - KISS (40) - This is one I remember from back in the day (so I'm surprised that this was all the higher it got). It was pretty good, but I prefer their slower songs, like "Beth" and "Forever" (and apparently, so did the Top 40 audience, as those two songs were their only Top Tens). 35: COME ON OVER - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (36) - Olivia had enjoyed a wave of chart success, with five consecutive Top Tens over a year and a half and, at this point, looked to be on her way down chartwise, but the best, in fact, was yet to come. This song, written by Barry and Robin Gibb, was pretty good, IMO, but definitely not her best. 34: HAPPY MUSIC - BLACKBYRDS (38) - Their second and final Top 40 hit. It was so/so, but I preferred their other one, "Walking In Rhythm" (heard on last week's 1975 show) by a fairly decent margin. 33: UNION MAN - CATE BROTHERS (37) - One of many one-hit wonders during the 70s that tried to get in on the disco craze. This song wasn't anything exceptional, IMO. 32: DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE - GLEN CAMPBELL (39) - A medley of two "oldies" - including a ballad version of "Don't Pull Your Love”, which was originally a mid-tempo song by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. 31: GOLDEN YEARS - DAVID BOWIE (17) - 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. AT40 EXTRA: CALIFORNIA DREAMING - This song was used as the first Optional Extra. I remember singing this one in a chorus mini-course in middle school. It was a pretty good one. 30: FOPP - OHIO PLAYERS (30) - As we all know, I'm not a big fan of this type of music, although this song actually wasn't too bad. 29: LOVE HANGOVER - DIANA ROSS (debut) - Meh, I personally preferred her previous hit, the “Theme From Mahogany”. This one seemed to blend in with all the other disco songs of the mid-70s. 28: GET UP AND BOOGIE - SILVER CONVENTION (34) - The second of two Top Five hits from them. Not sure if I prefer this or "Fly Robin Fly". Both are good songs. 27: LORELEI - STYX (28) - Here's a song that I remember from back in the day. This song only got as high as #27, which was kind of a surprise, seeing that the station I listened to back then played this song regularly. 26: RHIANNON (WILL YOU EVER WIN) - FLEETWOOD MAC (32) - This is another one I remember quite well from its chart run. It is my favorite song from their self-titled album. 25: MISTY BLUE - DOROTHY MOORE (31) - This song was written in the mid-sixties, which definitely shows, as it sounds like a song from that era. The song's OK, but nothing exceptional. 24: SILLY LOVE SONGS - WINGS (35) - This one's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred their other post-1974 #1 hits. 23: SARA SMILE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (29) - Their first of many, many Top 40 hits for the duo. It was pretty good, but definitely not their best. 22: STRANGE MAGIC - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (27) - his was the third of a total of twenty hits for this English orchestral rock band. It was OK, but not one of my favorites from them, especially since I associate it with the royally depressing movie "The Virgin Suicides", (since it is played during the prom scene). 21: MONEY HONEY - BAY CITY ROLLERS (19) - R.I.P. Les McKeown 20: LIVIN' FOR THE WEEKEND - O'JAYS (24) - A good TGIF type song. It wasn't bad, but definitely not as good as "Love Train" or "Use Ta Be My Girl". 19: TRYIN' TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN - BARRY MANILOW (25) - One of the best balladeers of all time! And this was one of his best hits, IMO! 18: SHANNON - HENRY GROSS (22) - And now we're up to the infamous "Dead Dog Dedication" song. This was written about the death of Beach Boy Carl Wilson's Irish Setter. I liked this song a lot (and it's yet another one I remember from back in the day). 17: I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO - ABBA (21) - One of the most successful Swedish acts to hit the chart. This wasn't bad, but I prefer several others by them, especially "Dancing Queen" and "The Winner Takes It All". 16: DREAM ON - AEROSMITH (16) - This song tends to be heavily edited, but it sounds like they played the single version intact. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite Aerosmith songs ever. 15: SWEET THING - RUFUS (15) - Wow, so far, we only have one ascending song in the Top 20 (and even that one didn't have a bullet and, in fact, would fall clean off the next week). Anyway, though I'm not a fan of them in general, this one was actually not bad (of course, hearing Mary J. Blige's remake a lot back in early 1993 might have helped a little). 14: DECEMBER 1963 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) - FOUR SEASONS (14) - Wow, this must have been a soft part in the chart, as three songs that had previously been descending hold in place. This used to be one of my favorite songs, but I became burned out on the song, partially due to its re-release in 1994). OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANT YOU - MARVIN GAYE - I'm more familiar with Robert Palmer's 1991 cover, which sounds so much like the original - in fact, I kept expecting this song to segue back into "Mercy Mercy Me". 13: DREAM WEAVER - GARY WRIGHT (8) - Another 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. 12: THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH - CARPENTERS (13) - This successful brother/sister duo did several remakes and this was one of them, originally done by Herman's Hermits. I liked both versions about the same. 11: LONELY NIGHT (ANGEL FACE) - THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE (4) - This song was OK. I do prefer it over the overplayed "Love Will Keep Us Together" and the hurl-inducing "Muskrat Love". It does not hold a candle to "Do That To Me One More Time", however. AT40 EXTRA: THE MORNING AFTER - MAUREEN McGOVERN - Played as the final Optional Extra, this is possibly the #1 song with the shortest playing time -within the AT40 era, that is. I always remember the “Succubus” episode of South Park when I hear this song. 10: FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE - ELVIN BISHOP (12) - Today, this song might be credited to "Elvin Bishop featuring Mickey Thomas", as the latter was the one who did the singing. This is another one of my personal faves from 1976 (and, yes, I remember it from its chart run). 9: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN (10) - Their first Top 40 hit, "Killer Queen" just barely missed the Top Ten, but this one sure didn't, which is a good thing, as this was a great song! Of course, I remember it from its second chart run in 1992, when it was re-released, thanks to its inclusion in "Wayne's World", but I also remember it for the first time around. BTW, for those of you wondering how I remember so many of these songs, despite being only four years of age back in 1976, we had our kitchen remodeled in the early spring of that year and I would often sit out in the backyard and watch the workmen, who always had the radio on and I'd hear many of these songs, and every time I heard a song I liked, I made note of its title and artist when the DJ announced it. By the time the kitchen was finished in May, I had quite a list of favorite songs - this was one of them. 8: SHOW ME THE WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (9) - And here's another such song! The first of three singles from what would become the top album of the year, "Frampton Comes Alive". It was my favorite of the three. 7: WELCOME BACK - JOHN SEBASTIAN (11) - This song was definitely burning up the chart - it debuted in the Top 40 at #20 and nearly hit the Top Ten the previous week. This song was definitely on its way to the top. This was possibly my favorite of the many TV show themes that charted in 1976 - a great song indeed! 6: ONLY SIXTEEN - DR. HOOK (6) - Here's a song I don't remember, though I think the radio station might have played it a few times - it just didn't make an impression on me. It's an OK song, though, of course, my favorite of their Top 40 hits was "Better Love Next Time" about four years later. 5: SWEET LOVE - COMMODORES (7) - 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. 4: BOOGIE FEVER - SYLVERS (5) - The first of three Top 40 hits from them. This was their biggest, hitting #1 a few weeks later. This was also my favorite from them. 3: RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (3) - The first of two Top 40 hits from her, both of which hit the Top Five. This one was pretty good, but I preferred her other hit "Lead Me On" by far. 2: LET YOUR LOVE FLOW - BELLAMY BROTHERS (2) - Another song I remember from 1976. This song would hit #1 the following week, and deservedly so! 1: DISCO LADY - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1) - Oddly enough, with all the songs I remember from back in the day, this wasn't one of them. The radio station that the contractors listened to (I forget which one), avoided R&B and disco songs. This one was both of them, so I don't remember hearing this one at all.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 23, 2021 12:59:02 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 24, 2021
This week's presentation - April 28, 1984
Droppers:
RUNAWAY - BON JOVI (39) - Their first Top 40 hit, and it was a one-week wonder on AT40. Of course, they'd have much, much, much better luck on the charts about two and a half years later. Anyway, this was a good one, but my favorite song from their 1984 self-titled release was the next single, "She Don't Know Me", which would peak at #48 in July. COME BACK AND STAY - PAUL YOUNG (38) - This English singer's first hit here in the States. The song was pretty good, but I preferred most of his later hits. RADIO GA-GA - QUEEN (35) - The title pretty much sums up my opinion of this song. In other words, no big loss. I WANT A NEW DRUG - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (21) - A song that charted twice in 1984 - peaked at #6 the first time around and then came back and hit #1 in August its second time out. It was a good song, but I preferred "If This Is It" from the Sports album.
40: THE HEART OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (debut) - They seemed to like the #6 spot on the countdown, as three of their five hits from Sports peaked there. This one even spent a month at that position. I used to really like this song, but overplay tarnished my fascination for this song somewhat, though it's still a pretty good song. My favorite Sports single would be the next one, "If This Is It", which charted later that summer. 39: IT'S MY LIFE - TALK TALK (40) - This song wasn't that big of a hit (didn't even crack the Top 30), but it gets a significant amount of recurrent airplay, mainly due to No Doubt's cover from about 20 years later. I prefer the remake, but the original's not bad either. 38: ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE - SCORPIONS (debut) - The first Top 40 hit from the city in Germany where the hamburger originated, though I had heard their music before - two years before, they had a song that got heavy airplay on Chicago station WLS, called "No One Like You". I liked this song, but slightly preferred their two 1991 hits. 37: WHITE HORSE - LAID BACK (debut) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. 36: THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN (debut) - To tell the truth, this one wasn't a whole lot better either. Definitely one of my least favorite songs from them. 35: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (37) - Ah, that's more like it! This was her first of many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO. I was pleasantly surprised that they played the album version of the song (where the choruses, especially the last one, are longer, as are a few of the instrumental parts.) LDD: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY - Very sweet dedication, from a brother to his sister. As for the song, it’s a good one, but Journey has had better. The segment in which the LDD was placed was very odd. They played song #23, answered a Question Letter, and then went to #22. I was wondering what happened to the LDD Casey had promised at the end of the last segment, and then, after song #22, the dedication was read. Strange! Moreover, the “Old Radio Shows” website listed the LDD between songs #34 and #33, which was actually where the LDD on the original show was; Premiere just moved it to the end of Hour 2, for some odd reason, so that's why that particular segment was so weird. 34: HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO - BONNIE TYLER (34) - I'm kind of surprised that this is all the higher the song got, seeing that it was from the soundtrack of Footloose, which, of course, was a box office smash and was still cranking out #1 hits - even if it didn't chart on its own merits, surely the soundtrack would at least give it somewhat of a boost. Oh well, I guess people just weren't into this song. I myself didn't think it was anything exceptional - I preferred her two other Top 40 hits, both of which hit the Top Ten. 33: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER (17) - The song that started it out for this unusual girl from New York took quite a dive on the chart as her second hit was on its way up, en route to #1 and somewhat stealing its thunder in the process. Of those two songs, I preferred this one. 32: EAT IT - WEIRD AL YANKOVIC (15) - Oddly enough, this was his only Top 40 hit (well, pre-Soundscan, that is). Then again, all of his songs were novelty songs, which tend to come and go real quick. This one just happened to hit the Top 40 before it got old. I liked this song, as well as many of his other ones. 31: I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN (33) - Their first of two hits for them on this week's chart. I preferred this song over its predecessor, though. Has sort of an early-80s classic rock feel to it. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) - POINTER SISTERS - Ugh, I hated the title of this song. Sort of drives home the fact that many women treat their men like dogs. Anyway, I didn't like the song itself either, such is the case with most of their post-1982 hits. 30: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER (32) - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes because of this song, as the title contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. They generally butchered this song, but this week, they played the song intact. Actually, I'm OK with it as long as they don't cut out the guitar solo, which was my favorite part of the song. 29: SHOW ME - THE PRETENDERS (29) - I wonder if this song got an airplay boost in Missouri, since the title is the state's namesake. Whatever the case, there was quite a peak difference between this song on the Hot 100 (where it peaked at #28 the following week) and the R&R chart, on which it got as high as #19. In 1982, this was quite commonplace, but by 1984, it was more notable. Anyway, I liked most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. Possibly my third favorite, behind "Back On The Chain Gang" and "Brass In Pocket". 28: NO MORE WORDS - BERLIN (31) - For some reason, this one reminded me somewhat of "Breakdance" by Irene Cara, coming up later in the show (but that's because both songs are Georgio Moroder - thanks, at40nut, for that info). Anyway, this wasn't a bad song, but I preferred "Take My Breath Away". 27: TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER (36) - Her first hit was a fun, upbeat song, but she shows her more serious side on this mid-tempo ballad. I wasn't a big fan of this song, however - it was just too depressing. One of my least favorite songs from her. 26: DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR (30) - The second of four Footloose songs on this week's chart. This one wasn't so/so, but I preferred "The Second Time Around" and "Dead Giveaway". 25: A FINE FINE DAY - TONY CAREY (28) - The first of two songs that this man charted with in 1984. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs of 1984 (and possibly my favorite song on the chart this week). 24: LEAVE IT - YES (24) - Mainly an album rock group, they did have a handful of Top 40 hits. I preferred this over "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" (since the latter was quite overplayed). 23: JUMP - VAN HALEN (14) - Meh, sounded more like a sporting event intro than a song. I preferred their other two 1984 hits, as well as many of their Van Hagar era hits. 22: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (26) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE WILL SHOW US HOW - CHRISTINE McVIE - Her second (and, as it turned out, final) solo Top 40 hit, from her second of three solo albums. It was a good song - sounded a lot like her material with Fleetwood Mac. 21: THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL (25) - Interesting that all the voices in this song are done by Billy Joel - I always thought he had several singers backing him up. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as the An Innocent Man album as a whole, due to its wide variety of music styles. 20: GIRLS - DWIGHT TWILLEY (16) - I liked this song, though it wasn't quite as good as the solo hit from his bandmate Phil Seymour. 19: THE AUTHORITY SONG - JOHN COUGAR MELLANCAMP (22) - John's version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)". A great, fun song indeed! Anyone ever notice that the beginning of this song is similar to "Footloose"? A coincidence, I'm sure, as this song was recorded before that one. 18: HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN - THE EURYTHMICS (9) - The third Top 40 single for this British duo and one of their biggest hits, peaking at #4 a few weeks back. The song was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "There Must Be An Angel". 17: OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY (27) - The very first solo hit from the man who was still actively the lead singer of Journey. He would have three more hits from Street Talk, but this was the biggest of the bunch - a great song IMO (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything) 16: DON'T ANSWER ME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (19) - They definitely seemed to have the most chart success with Eric Woolfson on lead vocals. I liked this song, but I preferred a few of their other hits. 15: ADULT EDUCATION - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (12) - One of two new hits from their first Greatest Hits album. I liked both it and "Say It Isn't So", but still, I preferred many other songs from them. 14: TONIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (18) - At this point, they were the most successful R&B act on the Pop chart so far in the 1980s. This song was pretty good, but I preferred other hits from them, such as "Joanna" and their best one ever, "Too Hot". 13: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S (20) - With the exception of "We Got The Beat", I like all of their songs about the same. They're all good ones! 12: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS (23) - As far as the biggest hit from the Footloose soundtrack goes, this song was a very close second to the title track. I hated this song when it was on the chart, due to all the overplay, but now, it's good to hear it every once in awhile instead of everytime I turn on the radio. 11: SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME – ROCKWELL (7) - Wow, I'd forgotten that this song was still high up on the chart - I generally associate it with the winter (probably because we had such a cold spring in 1984). Anyway, as we all know, this song featured Michael Jackson on vocals, as well as brother Jermaine. I have a feeling that was instrumental in its success (as Rockwell's follow-up song, "Obscene Phone Caller" was nowhere near as successful). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SELF-CONTROL - LAURA BRANIGAN - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her. 10: TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - JULIO IGLESIAS AND WILLIE NELSON (13) - A true guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, due to the cheese factor, as well as the fact that Julio wasn't very good at singing English. This was another song with the huge peak difference on the Billboard & R&R charts - while it climbed all the way to #4 on the former, it only climbed as high as #15 on the latter. It must have been a huge seller (it did reach gold status). 9: AUTOMATIC - THE POINTER SISTERS (6) - As I've mentioned many times before, this is when their musical quality began to take a nosedive. I do, however, prefer this song over their next release "Jump (For My Love), though only slightly. 8: THEY DON'T KNOW - TRACEY ULLMAN (10) - One of few artists whose name begins with the letter U to chart - in fact, the following week, Casey mentioned how she was the first artist with that letter to hit the Top Ten. She has since been joined by UB40, USA For Africa, and U2, among others. Anyway, I liked this song, which was her only Top 40 hit. 7: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS (11) - Of the five songs from "Heartbeat City", this one was just about right in the middle - I preferred "Magic" and "Why Can't I Have You", but liked this better than the two others, "Drive" and "Hello Again". 6: LOVE SOMEBORY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (8) - The first of three Top 40 hits from the Larry Peerce directed film "Hard To Hold", in which Springfield himself starred. Not sure if I prefer this or the next hit, "Don't Walk Away". Both are great songs. 5: MISS ME BLIND - CULTURE CLUB (5) - This, unfortunately, was their last Top Ten hit. It was a good one (I definitely like it much better than their song that recently left the chart), but their musical quality was indeed starting to decline at this point, which may have contributed to their downslide on the charts after this. LDD: BEGINNINGS - CHICAGO - One of their earlier hits, from 1971. It was pretty good, but I preferred many others from the band. 4: HOLD ME NOW - THOMPSON TWINS (4) - It's not often that my favorite song by an artist is also their biggest, but such is the case with this song. A great song indeed! 3: FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS (2) - The leadoff single and title song from one of the biggest movies of the year. Of course, I preferred his other song from the movie, which would hit the chart that summer. This song wasn't bad either, though it was quite overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES - Neither of his songs from his first album hit the Top 20, but he'd have much better luck with his next album Dream Into Action, which would be released the following spring and spawn three hits, each of which hit the Top 20. As for this song, it's a good one, but I preferred his other 1984 hit "New Song". 2: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (3) - Casey correctly predicted this song going to #1 - it would get there two weeks later, and deservedly so, as its one of his all-time best! 1: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (1) - Like "Hello", this was IMO another song worthy of hitting the top, as it's one of Phil's best songs ever! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the top song of 1984, according to Radio & Records
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