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Post by at40nut on Apr 23, 2021 19:28:06 GMT -5
There's a good reason why "No More Words" and "Break Dance" sound alike. They were both produced by Giorgio Moroder.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 24, 2021 13:10:46 GMT -5
"Sara Smile" was written about Sara Allen who was Daryl Hall's girlfriend at the time.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 24, 2021 13:19:54 GMT -5
"Bohemian Rhapsody" remains my favorite Queen song of all time.
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Post by dth1971 on Apr 25, 2021 8:23:30 GMT -5
"Bohemian Rhapsody" remains my favorite Queen song of all time. And you know "Bohemian Rhapsody" was charted again in 1992 on the charts used for Shadoe Stevens AT40 (then in Billboard Top 40 Radio Monitor chart source mode) plus Casey's Top 40 and Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 (Both CT40 and Rick Dees used R&R CHR/Pop chart). By that time Scott Shannon and Dave Sholin had ceased their radio countdown shows.
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Post by dth1971 on Apr 25, 2021 10:03:18 GMT -5
And you know "Bohemian Rhapsody" was charted again in 1992 on the charts used for Shadoe Stevens AT40 (then in Billboard Top 40 Radio Monitor chart source mode) plus Casey's Top 40 and Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 (Both CT40 and Rick Dees used R&R CHR/Pop chart). By that time Scott Shannon and Dave Sholin had ceased their radio countdown shows. I know that Dave Sholin's Insider ended in early October, 1991, but when was Scott Shannon's show cancelled? March 1992.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 25, 2021 10:04:36 GMT -5
"Bohemian Rhapsody" charted for a final time in 2018 when it was featured in the movie of the same name.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 29, 2021 17:13:22 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 1, 2021
This week's presentation - April 28, 1979
LW#3: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE LW#2: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR LW#1: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART 40: GET USED TO IT - ROGER VOUDOURIS (debut) - The only Top 40 hit from this man who, sadly, is no longer with us. It was a great song! 39: DON'T WRITE HER OFF - McGUINN, CLARK AND HILLMAN (debut) - The only Top 40 hit by the "new Byrds". The song was pretty good, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 38: SUCH A WOMAN - TYCOON (debut) - Wow, lots of one-hit wonders here - in this case, a sextet from New York. Like the about song, it was nothing exceptional 37: SWEET LOU-LOUISE - IRONHORSE (debut) - They were pretty much a Bachman-Turner Overdrive spinoff. Of course, they were nowhere near as successful, as this was their only Top 40 hit (wow, four in a row!). It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of BTO's Top 40 hits. 36: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (debut) - Well, this breaks the streak of Top 40 one-hit wonders, as this British rock band, which formed in 1969, had two Top 40 hits over the past few years and would have many others to come. This was their very first song to hit the Top Ten, peaking at #6 in June. This was my favorite song in the world back in 1979. I liked most of their Breakfast In America album, which I finally bought in August of that year (remember - I was only seven and didn't have a ton of spending money). LDD: READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN - BARRY MANILOW - This song was quite appropriate for the dedication, as the author (whose name, BTW, was also Barry) was trying to encourage his friend Linda, who was traumatized from a serious car accident (which caused her to temporarily lose her sight) to start getting out again (as she refused to leave her house after that). This was one of my favorite of Barry's 1970s hits - a great one! 35: HOT NUMBER - FOXY (debut) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but this one was actually pretty good. 34: ROLLER - APRIL WINE (36) - The second of three Top 40 hits here in the States from this Canadian band. It was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Just Between You And Me", which would chart two years later. 33: I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (19) - 1979 was definitely her heyday, as she had three Top 40 singles that year, and bookended the year with two others. This was possibly the best of the bunch, though "Shadows In The Moonlight" would be a close second. ARCHIVES: MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - Wow, we get Gladys Knight songs on two of this week's show (as "Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Me" is a LDD on the 1982 show). Both are great songs, but I definitely prefer this one, which is a candidate for my favorite song from them of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable. 32: ROXANNE - POLICE (34) - Meh, I don't really care for their 70s hit, which were more rock-based than their later hits. I actually prefer "Every Breath You Take" over this one, which says a lot. 31: HAPPINESS - POINTER SISTERS (35) - This one certainly did not live up to the success of its predecessor "Fire". It only climbed two spots higher the following week and then dropped out of the Top 40 the week after that. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred several others from them, including said previous hit. 30: CRAZY LOVE - ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (33) - The second of two songs by that title that charted during 1979 (the other one, by Poco, falls out of this week's countdown). This song featured their usual southern rock sound. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred other songs from them, such as "Ramblin' Man" and "Straight From The Heart". 29: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER (debut) - This song indeed lived up to its name, as it shot straight to number one! The title also seemed to describe Summer's career to a T, as she had many Top 40 hits throughout the year, including three number ones! This was a good one - my second favorite of her 1979 hits, behind "Heaven Knows". 28: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST - RANDY VANWARMER (38) - The only Top 40 song from this man from Colorado who, sadly, passed away eleven years ago. It was a really good song, but not one to listen to when feeling depressed, especially over a recent breakup. 27: ROCK & ROLL FANTASY - BAD COMPANY (32) - I remember hearing this one on the jukebox near the concession stands at the beach, where I went nearly everyday back in the summer of 1979. It's not bad, but I prefer a few others from them. 26: LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (17) - As you probably know all too well, this is my all-time favorite song from them! On the original show, they played the single version, but Premiere inserted the album version - well sort of - since the single version features a repeat of the chorus to the fade, which Casey was talking over, so it would be very difficult to continue the album version, which is instrumental. But it is cool that they played a longer version that features the second verse. 25: RENEGADE - STYX (29) - Another song I remember hearing on the radio a lot back in the day (since Styx is from Chicago, WLS tended to play out a lot of their hits). It was a good, summertime sounding song, but definitely not their best. 24: DISCO NIGHTS (ROCK FREAK) - GQ (28) - This was the first of two hits (from the same year, no less) from this soul group from the Bronx. This was one of several songs sampled in Kon Kan's 1989 hit "I Beg Your Pardon". I seem to recall that I preferred their other hit, "I Do Love You", which charted later that summer. 23: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT - BEE GEES (37) - This would stretch the Bee Gees #1 hit streak to six, although there has been talk about there being payola involved in that, but regardless, it was a pretty good song, though not my favorite song from them. 22: LIVIN' IT UP - BELL & JAMES (15) - An ideal song for the weekend! ARCHIVES: KEEP ON TRUCKIN' - EDDIE KENDRICKS - One of a handful of solo hits for this former lead singer of the Temptations, and the biggest of them all. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. 21: I GOT MY MIND MADE UP (SAY WHAT) - INSTANT FUNK (23) - The only Top 40 hit by this Philly Soul band. I wasn't too crazy about the song, however - the "say what"s were kind of annoying. 20: LOVE TAKES TIME - ORLEANS (25) - This was their last of three Top 40 hits, all of which made the Top 20. Actually, they were almost all Top Ten hits, but this one just barely fell short (the song did peak at #7 on the R&R chart, so it performed the hat trick there). This song, which sounds a cross between their other two hits, was my favorite of the three songs, although the others were great ones too. That said, it's too bad they didn't have anymore chart hits. 19: PRECIOUS LOVE - BOB WELCH (21) - Though I preferred Welch's two Top 20 hits from the year before, this was a good one as well. It's too bad that he left Fleetwood Mac right before they hit big. LDD: THINK IT OVER - CHERYL LADD - This was very fitting for the dedication, as it was an invitation to Cheryl Ladd herself to think it over and go to the high school prom with the author of the dedication (Cheryl, by the way, politely declined). 18: LOVE BALLAD - GEORGE BENSON (20) - One of the best jazz guitarists of all time! This was a good song - contained his trademark scat singing. Possibly my favorite of his Top 40 hits, since my favorites from him are generally the ones that didn't quite make the pop chart, but did well at AC (i.e. "Breezin'" and "I Just Want To Hang Around You"). 17: BLOW AWAY - GEORGE HARRISON (22) - This was Harrison's comeback hit, after two years being away from the chart. It only got as high as #16 on the Hot 100, but it climbed to #4 on the R&R chart. I guess more people bought Harrison's 1979 album, which was self-titled, than they did the single. It was a great song - one of my favorite of Harrison's solo hits. 16: LOVE IS THE ANSWER - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (18) - Sadly, this was their final Top 40 hit. Too bad, as all of their hits were great IMO, this one included. I always thought the message in this song was inspirational, so it was no surprise when Christian singer Cindy Morgan did a (great!) cover of this song about twenty years later. 15: SULTANS OF SWING - DIRE STRAITS (10) - Their heyday was definitely the mid-80s, but their first hit was actually a few years earlier. Of their charted hits, this would be my favorite. I remember listening to their self-titled album all the time back in the day (in fact, I think the lyrics sheet still has my dirty fingerprints on it). 14: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - THE JACKSONS (16) - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of this one. As I've mentioned before, their earlier material was their best IMO. 13: TRAGEDY - BEE GEES (8) - They were still on a hot streak with number one songs. This was one of them, and definitely one of their best, IMO! This song also put the band in a tie for fourth place with the Rolling Stones for the artist with the most #1 songs ever. Of course, they would move into fourth place by themselves six weeks later. ARCHIVES: PHOTOGRAPH - RINGO STARR - His first of two number solo number one songs after the break-up of the Beatles. Though I preferred many of the solo hits from the other three Beatles, it was a good song nonetheless. OPTIONAL EXTRA: OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - This song became more well-known after it was featured in Risky Business during Tom Cruise's famous dance in his skivvies. I was never a big fan of the song, though. 12: TAKE ME HOME - CHER (14) - Ah, Cher's first comeback - the first of at least three. This was a great song, though I prefer a few of her songs from said comebacks (which happened in 1987 and 1998). 11: HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER - SISTER SLEDGE (13) - A very jiggy song! Not sure if I prefer this or "We Are Family". 10: IN THE NAVY - VILLAGE PEOPLE (12) - As we all know, their biggest hit was one of my "No. Just no" songs (and sometimes it would get a rating even worse than that). This one, on the other hand, I actually really like. Probably because there wasn't a goofy, overdone dance to go along with it (they could have easily done that with the "They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!" chant, but to my best of knowledge, that has not materialized - yet). 9: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (11) - This was the last of their Top Ten hits from the 70s (they would have one more, which would end up becoming one of their biggest hits of all-time, a year later). This was a great song, but I preferred a few others, including said 1980 #1. 8: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (9) - Of their four Top Ten hits, this one seems to be the most obscure. It is by far my favorite song from them (possibly because of the lack of overplay). 7: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - DOOBIE BROTHERS (5) - This was their biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, as it is my all-time favorite from them! Glad that we finally got the show on which this song was #1 last year! 6: STUMBLIN' IN - SUZI QUARTO & CHRIS NORMAN (7) - Pretty much your typical MOR type hit. It was a good one, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 5: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR (2) - Ah, the anthem for abused women Another great disco classic, and one that got a lot of mileage on the charts. This one used to be so/so, but now is one of my favorite disco hits ever! 4: MUSIC BOX DANCER - FRANK MILLS (4) - I heard this song constantly back in 1979 and thought my parents had the radio tuned into the easy listening station. It wasn't until over ten years later when one of my fellow HS choir members was playing it on the piano and I casually asked what it was. When he told me the title, I recognized the title as being a Top 40 hit. I liked this song - the high piano notes indeed make it sound like a music box being set to disco. 3: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART (1) - As a superstitious person, I find myself doing this quite a lot. As for the song, however, I'm not a big fan. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY - VAN HALEN - I generally prefer the Van Hagar area, but this was actually one of my favorite songs of theirs when David Lee Roth was still in the band. 2: REUNITED - PEACKES & HERB (6) - This song was poised to hit #1 the following week, and would spend the entire month of May up there. Of their Top 40 hits, this one was my favorite song from them by a good-sized margin - one of the best love songs of all time! Did anyone notice how Casey did not outro this song at all? 1: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (3) - The first of four #1 songs by them. I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture", but I liked this and "The Tide Is High" about the same.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 29, 2021 17:18:04 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 1, 2021
This week's presentation - May 1, 1982
This is actually the first appearance of my critique on this show on these boards, as it was broadcast way back in 2008, before this thread existed.
Droppers: ONE HUNDRED WAYS - QUINCY JONES f/JAMES INGRAM (34) - The third Top 40 hit from Jones' album The Dude and the second to featured James Ingram on vocals. This was a great song - definitely my favorite of the three. MAMA USED TO SAY - JUNIOR (30) - The only Top 40 hit for this R&B funk singer and songwriter whose voice reminded me of Stevie Wonder. Moreover, this sounds like something he might sing. I thought this was a pretty good song. THAT GIRL - STEVIE WONDER (26) - Well, speak of the devil! Wonder was a force to be reckoned with on last week's show, as he was on the chart with this solo hit, a duet and a medley of his songs was among the Top 40, as well as how the Junior song above sounded like him (though that was pretty much just an opinion). Anyhoo, this was a huge hit on the R&B chart, having spent nine weeks at #1 there. It also looked like it might hit #1 on the Hot 100 at first, with how fast it was climbing the chart, but it ran out of steam before getting there (but, of course, he did end up hitting #1 in May with his duet with Paul McCartney). I liked this, but preferred several other songs from him (including his third hit from Musiquarium, "Ribbon In The Sky" which didn't quite make the Top 40). OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY (23) - This song spent six weeks in the runner-up position, but couldn't seem to overtake songs like "Centerfold" and "I Love Rock & Roll". The song, however, did make it to the top of the R&R chart - and spent seven weeks at #1, becoming R&R's top hit of 1982 in the process. Anyway, I was previously burned out on this song, but now that I don't hear it every day, I've started liking it again. NOBODY SAID IT WAS EASY (LOOKIN' FOR THE LIGHTS) - LE ROUX (18) - A one hit wonder here (although there's a Christian band whose name is phonetically identical - I think they spell their name LaRue - either way, it's not the same group). This was a great song - one I've heard many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. FIND ANOTHER FOOL - QUARTERFLASH (16) - Of their three Top 40 hits, this was the only one where they rocked out (the other two were more mellow). This would probably be my least favorite of their Top 40 hits, but it's still not too bad.
LW#3: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS LW#2: WE GOT THE BEAT - GO-GOS LW#1: I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS 40: WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE - SIMON & GARFUNKEL (debut) - I preferred this version over the original by the Everly Brothers. It sounded quite energetic (since it was performed at their live concert in Central Park). 39: MY GIRL - DONNIE IRIS (debut) - Is it me, or does this song bear much resemblance to "Hot Fun In The Summertime" by Sly & The Family Stone? Of his three Top 40 hits, this one would probably be my favorite. 38: SHANGHAI BREEZES - JOHN DENVER (39) - I've mentioned many times that my Mom listened to John Denver's music all the time back when I was little. By this point, she didn't listen quite as much, so I'm not quite as familiar with this song as I am others, but nevertheless, it was a great one. Too bad it only got as high as #31, but Denver had already had his day in the sun at Top 40 radio, but he continued to do well at AC radio, where this song made it to #1 the following week. 37: IT'S GONNA TALE A MIRACLE - DENIECE WILLIAMS (debut) - This song had that "rainy day" sound to it (at least it's nice and sunny right now), but it was still pretty good - not as good as her #1 hit two years later, though. 36: IF I HAD MY WISH TONIGHT - DAVID LASLEY (40) - Pretty much your typical R&B jam, but it's a good one. 35: PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (35) - What?? Six songs drop off the chart this week - all of which were higher last week than this song, which was on its way down and somehow stays in place? How is that even possible? Well, anyway, I think I've mentioned multiple times that I drove my Dad and brother up the wall by playing this album ad nauseum. I'm surprised that my Dad didn't hide the record when I wasn't looking. As for the song, it was definitely my theme, as I was obsessed with Pac Man back when I was a kid. 34: FANTASY - ALDO NOVA (debut) - Here's one I remember from back in the day, mainly on AOR stations. It's a great one! EXTRA: DOWN ON THE CORNER/FORTUNATE SON - CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - This song was played as the first Optional Extra. It was one of those deals where Casey chose a random artist, named off their three biggest hits and then played their biggest. This two-sided hit happened to be CCR's biggest hit and they played both songs. I liked both of them, but I prefer their song about a bathroom on the right. 33: LET'S HANG ON - BARRY MANILOW (37) - This was a fairly decent remake of the Four Seasons classic. Not sure which one I prefer. 32: MAKING LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK (36) - I wonder if this one ever got confused with her 1974 song "Feel Like Makin' Love"? I prefer this one, because of the melody, and the synth in the instrumental bridge. 31: GENIUS OF LOVE - TOM TOM CLUB (31) - Mariah Carey was apparently a fan of this song, for she sampled it in her 1995 hit "Fantasy". I, on the other hand, didn't care for this song at all. 30: STILL IN SAIGON - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (33) - A song about a Vietnam veteran experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. The subject matter was sort of depressing, but the song itself had a great melody. Definitely my favorite song from this pop/country band from Nashville! 29: STARS ON 45 III (STEVIE WONDER TRIBUTE) - STARS ON 45 (32) - Ah, the band who started the medley craze! Of all of them, I preferred the Beatles one, but this one was pretty good as well. LDD: BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - I mentioned in my 1979 critique that there were two Gladys Knight songs played as "extras" this week, and that I preferred the other one, but this was a great one as well. It fit the LDD to a T as well! 28: MAN ON YOUR MIND – LITTLE RIVER BAND (debut) - The third and last Top 40 hit from LRB's Time Exposure album. With its hefty debut, it looked like another Top Ten hit in the making, but it ran out of gas before it got that high. 27: MAGNUM P.I. THEME - MIKE POST (29) - One of several TV show themes from Mr. Post. I liked this one, but preferred a few others, like the "Hill Street Blues" theme, and "Theme from LA Law", which charted six years later. 26: RUN FOR THE ROSES - DAN FOGELBERG (38) - A song about racehorses that can bring me to tears, especially after hearing it as a LDD on a 1989 show to Secretariat, a racing horse who had been euthanized a month earlier because of an incurable hoof condition, known as laminitis. But then, almost two decades later, it was played on this very show back the last time it was featured back in 2008. That happened to be the day of the Kentucky Derby that year, when racehorse Eight Belles was injured in the race and had to be put down, which made it all the more heart-wrenching. 25: BABY MAKES HER BLUE JEANS TALK - DR. HOOK (25) - This band had been hitting the charts for almost exactly ten years at this point but, unfortunately, this would be their final Top 40 hit. 24: MAKE A MOVE ON ME - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (13) - Her previous hit spent an incredible ten weeks at #1, and, at first, this looked like it could be two in a row, but this one ran out of steam at #5, which is also great (and it managed to spend a week atop the R&R a few weeks before). This is definitely one of my favorite ONJ songs ever! 23: EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY) - ELTON JOHN (28) - This was Elton's tribute to the late John Lennon. It was definitely one of his best 80s hits, IMO. EXTRA: WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS - FREDDY FENDER - Meh, I didn't care much for this one - his voice was kind of annoying. Interesting story about how this song's popularity was delayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORE THAN THIS - ROXY MUSIC - This was somewhat of a curveball extra, but they might have picked it because the 10,000 Maniacs cover version, which hit the Top 20 in 1997. Not sure which of the two versions I prefer - both are pretty good. 22: HANG FIRE - ROLLING STONES (24) - The third of four Top 40 hits from Tattoo You, their biggest album ever (in terms of weeks at #1). The song was OK, but far from being their best. 21: DON'T YOU WANT ME - HUMAN LEAGUE (27) - This is a relatively rare example of when an act's biggest hit is also my favorite from them. That's mainly because, since it's the biggest hit, it gets tons of airplay, but this one has held up quite well despite that. 20: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (debut) - Wow! What an enormous debut for an artist's first hit! Odd that the last debut song for a group to debut so high was also the name of a continent (well, it was part of the name of two continents, but same idea). I like almost all of Asia’s songs and this one is no exception. I remember hearing this song a lot during the summer of 1982 - in fact, I’m kind of shocked that this song didn’t last more than twelve weeks on the charts. The stations I listened to played this well into the fall. This was my third favorite song from Asia, behind "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" and "Only Time Will Tell". 19: (OH) PRETTY WOMAN - VAN HALEN (12) - Of their three hits up to this point, two were cover versions. This, of course, was a remake of Roy Orbison's #1 hit from 1964. This was a good rendition, but nothing compares to the original. 18: EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (JUST LIKE THE WHITE-WINGED DOVE) - STEVIE NICKS (11) - I remember hearing this one constantly back in the spring of 1982. I knew it was Stevie Nicks, but I didn't find what the title was until a few years later. This was the third single from Nicks' first solo album, and, though it wasn't the highest peaking song from that album, it seems to be the one that gets the most recurrent airplay. I preferred "Leather And Lace", but this one was a good one as well. 17: GOIN' DOWN - GREG GUIDRY (19) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's chart. The only thing is, we know that it's going to stay that way, as Mr. Guidry is no longer with us. Great song, though! 16: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - WILLIE NELSON (21) - As I've said before, my favorite version of this song would be the Pet Shop Boys techno cover from 1988, but I do like this better than the two other versions that Casey played in a medley on the recently played April 9, 1988 show, when the Pet Shop Boys version was charting. The ones heard in said medley were by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, IIRC. 15: THE OTHER WOMAN - RAY PARKER, JR. (22) - This was Ray's first solo Top 40. It was OK, but one of my least favorites from him. I generally prefer his songs from the Raydio era. 14: BEATLES MOVIE MEDLEY - THE BEATLES (17) - The medley craze was still active at this point, though it was beginning to wind down. This song holds a rather undesirable chart record; not long after it peaked, this song would take the biggest drop ever on the Hot 100 (remember - anything after 11/30/91 does not count) by falling from #20 all the way to #92! 13: GET DOWN ON IT - KOOL & THE GANG (15) - I didn't care too much for any of their hits from 1982 (except for "Just Take My Heart", but that was more of a 1981 hit, even though it did spill over into 1982. I wasn't a fan of this one, for some reason. 12: KEY LARGO - BERTIE HIGGINS (8) - This was Higgins' only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got quite a lot of mileage on the charts, spending 18 weeks in the Top 40. I liked it - and as I recall I also liked "Just Another Day In Paradise", which just missed the Top 40 later on in 1982. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CRIMSON AND CLOVER - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - As her first Top 40 hit kept its hold at #1 (or does it this week?), the follow-up debuted at #63 on the Hot 100. This one wasn't quite as good, but I prefer it over her third hit from later on that year, as well as the original by Tommy James. 11: DID IT IN A MINUTE - HALL & OATES (14) - One of several Top Ten songs from them that radio all but ignores anymore, which is a shame, as this was one of their best hits ever! 10: I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (20) - I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure, as I like this song, but know many who hate it with a passion - especially the spoken word bridge. I can see why that would be gag-inducing to some, but I personally don't mind it. 9: '65 LOVE AFFAIR - PAUL DAVIS (9) - This song has that malt shop era sound to it (the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", they moved it up a decade so it wouldn't sound so "geezerly"). The song, about Davis trying to score with his favorite high school cheerleader, was a great one - his highest peaking hit (peaked at #6 later that month) and one of his all time best, IMO. 8: 867-5309 (JENNY) - TOMMY TUTONE (10) - How many of us have actually tried calling this number back when we were younger? Although I imagine most of us have gotten messages that our call could not be completed as dialed. Casey told a story about how people with this number kept getting nuisance phone calls. He also mentioned Chicago’s former rock station WLS, since they adopted this phone number and connected it to an answering machine featuring someone identifying themselves as Tommy Tutone. 7: DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (7) - Ah, the song that kicked off the career of possibly THE biggest group of the 1980s! It was indeed a great song - one that pops up every now and then on oldies stations. 6: WE GOT THE BEAT - GO-GOS (2) - I generally liked the Go-Go's, but this was an exception - definitely my least favorite song from them. LDD: TIME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT 5: DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (5) - This song was in the midst of a five-week run atop the R&R chart, and looked like it might be peaking here on the Hot 100, but it would eventually climb to the runner-up position. Oddly enough, you don't hear it much on the radio. Pretty much all they play by him is "Jessie's Girl". Both of those are among my favorites by this man from Australia. 4: FREEZE FRAME - J. GEILS BAND (4) - Their former #1 "Centerfold" dropped off the survey, and this song was sitting at its peak position for a fourth week. I wasn't a huge fan of this song - I much preferred said #1 song. 3: EBONY & IVORY - PAUL MCCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (6) - This spent seven weeks at #1 and ranked among the Top Five of that year. Back in the day, I hated this song, because, every time you turned on the radio, there it was. I was burned out on it for quite awhile, but have learned to start liking it better over the past few years. It's a great song with a great message! OPTIONAL EXTRA: FORGET ME NOTS - PATRICE RUSHEN - This song was sampled twice in the 1990s - first of all in George Michael's 1996 hit "Fastlove", then used as the bass line in one of Will Smith's most overplayed songs ever, "Men In Black" a year later. I dub this "The Blinker Song", as there was one time that a blinker that I was coming up to at the junction of Indiana State Road 2 and US Highway 6 kept perfect rhythm with the song, which I'm sure I've mentioned here a time or two. 2: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS (3) - This song reminds me of the race in the movie “Mr. Mom”, which had a few funny moments (when the guy got boxed in between two of the runners, plus when they all got on tricycles). The song was just a week away from setting a record for the longest climb to the top, eclipsing the 21-week record shared by Nick Gilder, with "Hot Child In The City" and Robert John, with "Sad Eyes" by one week. Glad this one made it to the top, because it was a great one - one of my favorite instrumentals of all time! 1: I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (1) - Like "Ebony And Ivory", this song spent seven weeks at #1 and ranked among the Top Five of that year. It was also my favorite of her/their three 1982 hits - one of those songs that despite overplay, has held up quite well.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 29, 2021 17:20:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 1, 2021
This week's presentation - April 25, 1987
Doing this a little differently - listening to the second half right now and the first half later tonight, as I have no idea if any other stations will be playing this show tomorrow, especially now that we've lost KABQ
Droppers: I WILL BE THERE – GLASS TIGER (38) - A good example of Third Single Syndrome here. The first two singles from The Thin Red Line hit the Top Ten, yet this is all the further this single got, which I thought was a shame, as it was my second favorite from them (a close second, might I add) behind "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". LIGHT OF DAY – THE BARBUSTERS (36) - Of course, this is Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with their only hit under that pseudonym. I liked the song - reminded me a little of "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." by John Cougar Mellencamp. MANDOLIN RAIN – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (33) - Well, we lost a great song this week. Seems to me that this song seemed to be generally edited on AT40, but at least they generally took out the second verse instead of the "running down by the lake shore" bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. Anyway, I liked all three singles from The Way It Is, but this was my favorite of them all. WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE – TINA TURNER (29) - The last of three Top 40 singles from Turner's Break Every Rule album. Though this song did get close to the Top Ten, I still felt it was quite underrated (namely, since it gets no recurrent airplay). Needless to say, I liked the song a lot. THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - EUROPE (27) - The horns in this song reminded me a little of the intro to "Only Time Will Tell" by Asia. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two Top 40 hits from the album of the same name. LET’S WAIT AWHILE – JANET JACKSON (26) - This was a great song with a great message about abstinence and my favorite of the Control singles. THE HONEYTHIEF - HIPSWAY (23) - The thing I remember most about this song was its catchy chorus (“The light of deep regret, let me see what I don’t get”). A great song that I felt was quite underrated.
40: YOU CAN CALL ME AL – PAUL SIMON (debut) - One of several 1987 songs that charted twice. This song barely fell short of the Top 40 during its original release in the fall of 1986. After Simon's current album, Graceland, won a Grammy for Album of the Year, Paul decided to re-release the song and this time around it got as high as #23. It was a good song IMO. 39: MEET ME HALF WAY – KENNY LOGGINS (debut) - One of many movie songs that Loggins charted with. This song would peak at #11 in June and managed to place on the Top 100 of 1987 (which was a significant feat, given how fast the charts moved in 1987!) 38: DAY-IN DAY-OUT – DAVID BOWIE (debut) - His first of two Top 40 singles from his Never Let Me Down album, and, as we all know, those are my two favorite songs from Bowie, whose music I was never generally a big fan of. I like both songs about the same, which you probably already knew as well 37: GET THAT LOVE – THOMPSON TWINS (debut) - The only Top 40 hit from their sixth studio album Close To The Bone. The "Twins" had clearly had their day in the sun, as this song only got to #31. As you know probably all too well, their biggest hit, "Hold Me Now", is my favorite song from them, but this just might be a close second, as it's a great one as well! 36: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE – BON JOVI (debut) - This song demonstrated the band's country/western side, a format that they would switch to about 20 years later. This was a good song, but I preferred "Never Say Goodbye", an album cut from Slippery When Wet that was getting moderate radio airplay around this time. 35: THE RIGHT THING – SIMPLY RED (40) - Their first hit from their sophomore album, Men And Women, which did not fare quite as well as their debut album Picture Book. This song did not get any higher than #27, which I thought was too bad, as it's a great song! 34: IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL - CHICAGO (debut) - The third release from the Chicago 18 album maintained a steady climb up the chart, en route to #17. I thought this song was somewhat underrated; it should have hit the Top Ten just like their other 1987 hit "Will You Still Love Me". 33: ALWAYS – ATLANTIC STARR (debut) - This song became a very popular wedding song and was a far cry from their last Top Ten hit, which was about infidelity. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 32: SMOKING GUN – THE ROBERT CRAY BAND (22) - The only hit by this band headed up by Robert Cray, a blues-rock guitarist/vocalist. This was all the higher it got on the Hot 100, but did much better on the Rock chart, peaking at #2, behind "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi (and then "Midnight Blue" by Lou Gramm leapfrogged over it). It was a good song - one that takes me back to the spring of 1987. Off-topic: This is the only song on the AT40 chart that was not on the corresponding Radio & Records chart (counted down by Rick Dees and Dave Sholin that weekend). The R&R only song that week was "Heartbreak Beat" by the Psychedelic Furs. Just thought I'd point that out, as that was a rather unusual occurrence. Now, on with the countdown... 31: SE LA – LIONEL RICHIE (37) - This was Lionel's last Top 40 hit before taking a five-year break from the charts. It was a pretty good song, with a reggae feel to it, but definitely not his best. 30: LET’S GO! – WANG CHUNG (17) - After having their first Top Ten hit (getting ever so close to #1), they landed their second one two weeks before. I preferred this song, though over the past few years, I've learned to like said first Top Ten hit (the one about wanking John) better than previously. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BRASS MONKEY - BEASTIE BOYS - The follow-up to "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)". I was never a fan of this song, or the Beastie Boys in general. I didn't mind not hearing it (as the station on which I heard the show doesn't play the extras). 29: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON – KIM WILDE (39) -This song ended up breaking the record for the longest span of time between the original version of the song hitting #1 and a remake hitting #1 - a record that had been broken several times over the past year and had been held for over a decade by "Please Mr. Postman". As I've said several times before, I prefer this version over the Supremes and Vanilla Fudge versions, though my all-time favorite Kim Wilde song would be her near-miss song "You Came", from 1988. 28: I KNOW WHAT I LIKE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (35) - This song just barely kept their Top Ten streak going, as it peaked at #9 and spent but a single week in the Top Ten. It was a good song, but definitely not his best. 27: SHIP OF FOOLS (SAVE ME FROM TOMORROW) – WORLD PARTY (30) - The only Top 40 hit for this London-based one-man band was sailing right along on the chart. I liked it, but, as someone on these boards once observed, it sounded more like a fall hit than spring. I wonder if it would have done better on the charts had it been released about six months later. LDD: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – WHITNEY HOUSTON - One of Whitney's best songs ever, and it became popular in the LDD department. This is a song that I never got tired of and it still sounds as fresh as it did over 30 years ago! Glad that it ended up as her biggest hit (as far as weeks at #1 go) from her debut album. 26: TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT - GENESIS (14) - This song, which always makes me thirsty for an ice cold Michelob, was pretty good, but not one of my favorites from them. I especially hated the album version, which U93 started playing around this time - the instrumental bridge with those goofy sound effects, reminiscent of the background music in the old-school Donkey Kong Country games, drags on and on. Fortunately, I seldom hear that version anymore. 25: RIGHT ON TRACK – THE BREAKFAST CLUB (34) - The only Top 40 song for John, Claire, Andy, Brian, and Allison, written on March 24, 1984 as they served a Saturday detention. Unfortunately, due to legal technicalities, Principal Vernon received all the royalties. 24: NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU – GLENN MEDEIROS (32) - The first Top 40 hit for this high school student from Kaui. Due to how fast the charts moved in 1987, there were only two songs that made the year-end survey that did not quite make the Top 20. This was the more successful of those, peaking at #12 in June. A great song, IMO, and one of my favorite songs of the whole year. 23: SERIOUS – DONNA ALLEN (25) - ARGH, how many times does she have to say, “TALK, talk about serious”? Enough is enough! Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of this song. 22: BIG LOVE – FLEETWOOD MAC (31) - Their first of five singles from "Tango In The Night", with Lindsey Buckingham handling the lead vocals. It was OK, but my favorite song from the album was the next single, "Seven Wonders", featuring Stevie Nicks singing lead. 21: TALK DIRTY TO ME - POISON (28) - The breakthrough hit from this glam rock band from Pennsylvania did pretty well, hitting the Top Ten. I liked it, but wasn't quite my favorite song from them. I generally preferred their power ballads. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST TO SEE HER - SMOKEY ROBINSON - This was his comeback hit, after being absent from the Top Ten for over five years. I like this and "One Heartbeat", which would be his next hit, about the same (I used to like the latter a lot better, but now that I've listened to a tape containing that song multiple times, that sort of dimmed my like for that song). 20: CAN’TCHA SAY (YOU BELIEVE IN ME)/STILL IN LOVE – BOSTON (20) - Their mid-80s comeback album, Third Stage, yielded them two additional Top Ten hits, and this song didn't do too bad either, peaking here at #20. It was my favorite song from Third Stage, which turned out to be their most successful singles album. 19: THE LADY IN RED – CHRIS DE BURGH (24) - Chris had charted a few times earlier in the 80s, but this is the song that put him on the map. I loved this song when it first hit the chart, but the stations I listened to back in the day all but played it out and I became quite tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, but I wouldn't want to hear it every day. 18: HEAT OF THE NIGHT – BRYAN ADAMS (21) - I liked this song, though my least favorite single from Into The Fire (probably because the other two didn't get anywhere near as much airplay - in fact, I don't think I ever heard either of them outside of countdown shows - or radio station "late night fights" (Victim Of Love was a winner on the latter of the two on U93 for quite awhile). 17: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (9) - I liked most of their hits, but this wasn't one of them! Definitely my least favorite single from the Exposure album. My favorite was the next release, "Point Of No Return", which was a big summer hit. 16: WHAT’S GOING ON – CYNDI LAUPER (19) - This was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's classic Top Ten hit from 1971, when Lauper was still in high school. I remember hating this song when it was on the charts. Now, I like it, even better than the original. 15: COME AS YOU ARE – PETER WOLF (18) - The former lead singer of the J. Geils Band had two solo hits in 1984 and was back with his second album, to which this was the title track. It was a great song! 14: DOMINOES – ROBBIE NEVIL (16) - He'd charted early in the year with a hit that peaked in the runner-up position and at first, it looked like he might collect his second Top Ten hit, but this song ran out of steam here at #14. Too bad, as this was my favorite of his 1987 hits. 13: LEAN ON ME – CLUB NOUVEAU (7) - This was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it wasted no time getting to #1! It's still not one of my favorite songs, but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! LDD: IMAGINE – JOHN LENNON - This one became somewhat popular in the LDD department, especially ones dealing with social issues. This was possibly Lennon's solo hit for which he's most famous. It is a good song, IMO. 12: STONE LOVE – KOOL & THE GANG (15) - This song, like "Victory", would also hit the Top Ten, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be their last Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but my favorite of the Forever singles was "Special Way", which was a Top Ten AC hit in December of that year. 11: WALKING DOWN YOUR STREET – THE BANGLES (11) - The band that had a thing about walking back in 1987, as illustrated by the titles of their two hits from that year. Anyway, you know that I prefer this over the other one, though I did prefer their first two hits from the Different Light album, but this one’s still a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEET SIXTEEN - BILLY IDOL - I'm not generally a big Billy Idol fan, but this is an exception - possibly my favorite song from him. 10: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU – U2 (13) - The first of three hits from one of the biggest albums of the 80s, The Joshua Tree. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred the other two singles. 9: MIDNIGHT BLUE – LOU GRAMM (5) - After a decade of heading up Foreigner, he decided to give a solo career a try. This was his first solo hit to make the charts. It was a good one, but I preferred the other two, both from his second solo album Long Hard Look. 8: THE FINER THINGS – STEVE WINWOOD (8) - Back In The High Life was definitely Winwood's most successful album as far as singles go, as there were four of them that hit the Top 40. This was the third and there was no "Third Single Syndrome" here, as this was the second most successful song from the album behind the #1 "Higher Love". This was very possibly my favorite song from the album, though there are several other songs by him that I prefer. 7: LA ISLA BONITA - MADONNA (12) - The fifth hit from True Blue was burning up the chart en route to becoming another Top Five hit. It was the final song from the album, but Madonna was at work on her next project, the movie "Who's That Girl", which would spawn two Top Ten hits later in the year. This was a good song; indeed had a tropical island feel. 6: NOTHING’S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (2) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I had seen at the local theater the previous weekend. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough". 5: (I JUST) DIED IN YOUR ARMS – CUTTING CREW (10) - The first of three Top 40 hits for this band from London - all from their debut album Broadcast. This one was OK, but quite overplayed, both back in 1987 and nowadays on oldies stations. I preferred their other two hits. 4: LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE – JODY WATLEY (6) - This song came very close to hitting #1, but it was stuck at #2 for four weeks, behind the Cutting Crew and U2, the latter of which leapfrogged over this song, which I thought was OK, but I preferred a few of her other songs, including ones that she did as part of Shalamar. 3: SIGN '☮️' THE TIMES - PRINCE (4) - This song was OK, but it was rather monotonous. Definitely not his best song by any means. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IN TOO DEEP - GENESIS - This was the fifth and final single from their most successful singles album Invisible Touch. It is my second favorite of those singles behind the title track (but you already knew that, right?) 2: DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER – CROWDED HOUSE (3) - Two members of the band Split Enz (which had a minor hit in 1980 called "I Got You") helped to form this band who had two Top Ten hits in 1987. I thought both were great songs, though I preferred their follow-up, "Something So Strong", which sounded sort of like a more upbeat version of this song. 1: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) – ARETHA FRANKLIN & GEORGE MICHAEL (1) - A one time pairing of the Queen Of Soul and the former lead singer of Wham! - and a great pairing at that, since it was a big #1 hit. Definitely one of my favorites from both artists!
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Post by mga707 on Apr 29, 2021 17:58:22 GMT -5
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable. While the short-lived TV show of the same name starring Naughton was mentioned, the use of this song in the 1979 drive-in movie classic "Meatballs", starring Bill Murray, was not. Probably the major factor in the song becoming a hit, as the TV show bombed.
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Post by at40nut on Apr 30, 2021 8:22:43 GMT -5
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable. While the short-lived TV show of the same name starring Naughton was mentioned, the use of this song in the 1979 drive-in movie classic "Meatballs", starring Bill Murray, was not. Probably the major factor in the song becoming a hit, as the TV show bombed. "Makin It" would resurface in the 1999 film Detroit Rock City, the scene with the Guidos and the Stellas riding in a Trans Am. Another song from this 1979 countdown that found it's way onto a film was "Happiness" by The Pointer Sisters. It was in the 1997 film Donnie Brasco.
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Post by mrjukebox on May 1, 2021 10:53:43 GMT -5
I'm sure there are folks on this board who remember the commercials David Naughton did for Dr.Pepper.
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Post by mrjukebox on May 2, 2021 19:00:30 GMT -5
Tom Tom Club was a side project for Tina Weymouth & Chris Frantz of The Talking Heads.
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Post by Hervard on May 7, 2021 13:12:40 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 8, 2021
This week's presentation - May 14, 1977
Droppers: CHERRY BABY - STARZ (33) - No, this is not a remake of Neil Diamond's song about western movies. This one is sort of MOR music with a little edge to it. It was a good song. Too bad it didn't climb any higher than #33. LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN) - BARBRA STREISAND (31) - 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! RICH GIRL - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (30) - The first of many #1 hits from them, and one of their best. This is one of many big hits from 1977 that I remember from when it was on the charts. TRYING TO LOVE TWO - WILLIAM BELL (23) - About a month prior, there were three songs on the chart about infidelity (the other being "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor). With this song dropping out, that left only one, around the mid-point of the chart. This was my favorite of the three, as the other two were absolute snoozefests.
40: SLOWDOWN – JOHN MILES (debut) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this Jarrow, England native. The song was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 39: JET AIRLINER – STEVE MILLER BAND (debut) - The second of his/their four Top 40 hits during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits. 38: BACK IN THE SADDLE - AEROSMITH (38) - The third and final single from their 1976 album Rocks. The song was OK, but far from being their best. EXTRA: THEME FROM “SHAFT” – ISAAC HAYES 37: MAINSTREET – BOB SEGER (debut) - His second release from "Night Moves" and my favorite of the two. This one would hit a brick wall the two weeks later, peaking at #24 and falling out of the Top 40 the week after that. Too bad, as it was such a great song! At least it still gets occasional airplay on oldies stations. 36: SLOW DANCIN’ – ADDRISI BROTHERS (debut) - One of several "two-hit wonders" on the countdown this week. Their first hit charted in 1972 and five years later, they came back with this song, which eventually peaked at #20. This one was OK, but nothing special. 35: LOVE’S GROWN DEEP – KENNY NOLAN (39) - Yet another two-hit wonder (although I think more might know this song, as it hit the Top 20). Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind. 34: CINDERELLA - FIREFALL (36) - Their second hit certainly didn't measure up to their debut single, as the song didn't go any higher. It was a good one, but doesn't hold a candle to said debut single "You Are The Woman" or "Just Remember I Love You". 33: MARGARITAVILLE – JIMMY BUFFETT (37) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins". They certainly butchered this song this week, didn't they? 32: MY SWEET LADY – JOHN DENVER (34) - I've mentioned many times that my Mom listened to John Denver's music all the time back when I was little. By this point, she didn't listen quite as much, so I'm not quite as familiar with this song as I am others, but nevertheless, it was a great one. Too bad it only got as high as #32, but Denver had already had his day in the sun at Top 40 radio, but he continued to do well at AC radio, where this song hit the Top 20. 31: DON’T GIVE UP ON US – DAVID SOUL (16) - The only Top 40 single for Hutch. It's a pretty cheesy song, but not bad. 30: UPTOWN FESTIVAL (PART 1) - SHALAMAR (32) - This was basically five classic Motown songs woven into a medley. Pretty good. 29: SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO – THE JACKSONS (35) - Their second of two Top 40 hits for the band in 1977, and my favorite of the three, although I preferred most of their earlier songs, when they were known as The Jackson 5. 28: UNDERCOVER ANGEL – ALAN O’DAY (40) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write many other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU - ABBA - Their second of two hits from 1977 ("The Name Of The Game" doesn't count, as it wasn't even heard on AT40 until 1978). Though I preferred "Dancing Queen", this one was a great song as well! 27: YOUR LOVE – MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS, JR. (15) - The second of their two charted duets. Too bad this wasn't as successful as "You Don't Have To Be A Star", as I preferred this song. 26: WHODUNIT - TAVARES (28) - They seemed to chart sporadically throughout the 70s. I like a few of their songs, but this wasn't one of them (too repetitive). 25: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG – MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (27) - Another "two-hit wonder", and this is by far their best known of the two hits - and my favorite as well (though I seem to remember that "Fire On The Mountain" was pretty good as well). 24: DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY – THELMA HOUSTON (5) - This song pretty much took baby steps all the way up to #1, but such was not the case on the way down, as this song took a huge dive this week. Thelma, of course, was no relation to Whitney (to my best of knowledge, anyway). 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. 23: DANCIN’ MAN - Q (25) - Dancing Queen's partner, perhaps? But seriously, this band shares the record for the shortest act title with M (only the latter fared better on the chart, since "Pop Muzik" hit #1 while this was all the further this song got. This song was OK, but nothing exceptional. 22: AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN) – JOE TEX (24) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. 21: GONNA FLY NOW – BILL CONTI (29) - Since AT40 pre-empted the regular chart the first week of July, 1977 with the "Top 40 Girls Of The Rock Era" special (which Casey plugged several times during the show), this song was cheated out of its week at #1 on AT40. Oh well, stuff happens, right? Anyway, that didn't change the fact that it did indeed hit #1 and it was finally recognized for that right here. Though I preferred Maynard Ferguson's version of the song. 20: ANGEL IN YOUR EYES - HOT (21) - 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. 19: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (22) - This was indeed the first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band! 18: I’VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND – NATALIE COLE (8) - 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. 17: HELLO STRANGER – YVONNE ELLIMAN (19) - The second of five hits for her, and the second biggest, behind "If I Can't Have You". I prefer the latter by a fair margin. LISTEN TO THIS: JAMIE – EDDIE HOLLAND - wtf was this all about? 16: CALLING DR. LOVE - KISS (18) - 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. 15: LONELY BOY – ANDREW GOLD (20) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other Top 40 entry, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, though said other one was great as well. 14: DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC (26) - Casey correctly predicted this song becoming the biggest hit that Fleetwood Mac had ever had! He apparently meant so far (as it was a cinch to go higher than their peak of #10 at that point), but it turned out to be their only #1 hit. This was the second of four hits from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay. It's still a pretty good one, though. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DA DOO RON RON - SHAUN CASSIDY - The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it hit #1 that summer. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one. 13: CAN’T STOP DANCIN’ – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (13) - Well I must say that this one's better than their last hit before this one! Still, nothing exceptional. 12: LUCILLE – KENNY ROGERS (17) - 400 children and crap in the field? Oh wait, that's something else... Anyway, this was pretty good, but I prefer many others from him. 11: LIDO SHUFFLE – BOZ SCAGGS (12) - 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! 10: I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU – ROSE ROYCE (10) - 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". 9: GOT TO GIVE IT UP (PART 1) – MARVIN GAYE (14) - I have learned to like this song a little better than I had before, but still, it is not my favorite song from him (and I stand by my opinion that the song's soundalike, "Blurred Lines" is the worst #1 song of the past decade). 8: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (11) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later. 7: SO INTO YOU - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (7) - They had a handful of Top 40 hits and I thought most of them were great, like this one! 6: RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT – JENNIFER WARNES (6) - This song was written by Peter McCann who himself was on his way up the chart with his own hit "Do You Wanna Make Love". I preferred this song - it wasn't quite as cheesy. 5: COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (9) - Another two-hit wonder. Of course, we all know that I preferred their other hit, from four years later, but this one was good as well. 4: SOUTHERN NIGHTS – GLEN CAMPBELL (3) - 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. 3: HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES (1) - One of their biggest hits, as well as one they're most famous for. It's one of my favorites from them as well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW - This was his third and final #1 hit. No matter; he'd have many more big hits. This was by far my favorite of his #1 songs. 2: SIR DUKE – STEVIE WONDER (4) - In this song, which was really burning up the charts (and a week away from a three-week stay at #1), Stevie dropped several names in this song, all of musical pioneers that time did not allow us to forget, including the king of all, Duke Ellington, to whom, of course, the title referred. Although I prefer several other songs by Mr. Wonder, this was a great one nonetheless. 1: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER (2) - To tie in with this song, Leo's second #1 in a row, Casey told the story about how Leo horn in on other bands' songs by jumping on stage and finishing the song himself if he didn't think they were any good. They would keep on playing, since, of course, the show must go on, but after they were done, they would drag Leo out to the alley and "beat the hell out of him". But his perseverance paid off, as he had a successful music career. As for this song - it was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred his other two other 1977 songs, which bookended this one.
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Post by Hervard on May 7, 2021 13:13:07 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 8, 2021
This week's presentation - May 7, 1988
Droppers: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (38) - 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. YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (37) - 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. OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (33) - The third single and title track of her second album. This was so far my favorite song from the album (though "Only In My Dreams" was a close second), but of course, my favorite was the fourth single, which went all the way to #1 in June. FISHNET – MORRIS DAY (32) - 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) KISS AND TELL – BRYAN FERRY (31) - The lead singer of the band Roxy Music, famous for songs like "Love Is The Drug" and "More Than This". This was a good song - too bad it didn't get any higher on the charts than #31. In fact, it dropped out of the Top 40 the following week. SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (25) - This song was pretty good, but pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2".
40: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (29) - This song just 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. 39: NIGHTIME - PRETTY POISON (debut) - Melodically, this song was more or less a laid-back version of "Catch Me I'm Falling", their Top Ten hit from late 1987. I thought it was a good song, but can see why it didn't fare too well on the chart. 38: RITUAL - DAN REED NETWORK (39) - The only Top 40 hit for this punk rock quintet from Portland. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. 37: I'M STILL SEARCHING - GLASS TIGER (debut) - Well, speak of the devil! I mentioned that Scarlett & Black sounded like Glass Tiger earlier, and this week, the Canadian band debuts on that chart with said new hit - the fourth and final Top 40 hit for this Canadian band. It was a good song and I'm surprised it didn't do any better than it did, since it was an upbeat song that was suitable for late spring. 36: FOOLISH BEAT - DEBBIE GIBSON (debut) - Debbie didn't miss a beat (not even a foolish one), as she debuted on the chart with her follow-up to her song that falls off the survey this week. There were several instances in 1988 of the final hit from an album having the most chart successs. This could have been yet another example, as this was the only #1 song from Out Of The Blue, but while she was still hot, she decided to release a fifth single - which didn't even hit the Top 20 (didn't upset me too terribly, as I wasn't crazy about the song). Such was not the case with this great song, though - this one most definitely one of her best hits ever. Glad they didn't have that sloppy edit near the end - the one that was used several times during the song's chart run. Totally screwed up the continuity of the song! 35: I STILL BELIEVE - BRENDA K. STARR (debut) - This was her first of two Top 40 hits - and she almost had a third hit, her duet with George Lamond called "No Matter What", but that one ran out of gas at #49 - too bad, as that was my favorite song from her. This, however, was a close second, as it was a great one! 34: ROCKET 2 U - THE JETS (24) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. LDD: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – SIMON & GARFUNKEL - This song, which spanned the entire month of March, 1970 at #1, became the top song of that year. This is a song that I remember hearing all the time when I was really little, since my Mom played the Bridge Over Troubled Water album constantly - many times, at my request ("Mom, could you put on "Bridge"?), since it was one of my favorite albums back in the day. It fit the LDD as well - a perfect story for Mother's Day! 33: MAKE IT REAL - THE JETS (debut) - We got double-powered jets on the countdown this week! This is another example of the aforementioned "last single with most success", although it would be limited to songs that hit the Top 40 (as there actually was a fifth release from Magic - the song "Sendin' All My Love" peaked at #88 that August). Anyway, the first three singles from the album hit the Top 20, but this song was the only Top Five. This was one of my favorite songs from this family band, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". 32: WE ALL SLEEP ALONE - CHER (40) - Cher had one Top Ten hit on R&R and one Top Ten hit on the Hot 100 in 1988 - only with different songs. This one hit the Top Ten on the former by the skin of its teeth, and peaked at #14 on the Hot 100, where she'd hit the Top Ten earlier in the year with "I Found Someone", which peaked at #12 on R&R. I preferred this one, though neither one was one of my favorites from Cher. I like songs like "Believe" and "Strong Enough" better. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STRAIGHT UP - PAULA ABDUL - Meh, I was never a big fan of this song (and naturally, it's the song of hers that seems to get the most recurrent airplay). I generally reach for the station tuner when this song comes on. 31: MAN IN THE MIRROR - MICHAEL JACKSON (19) - 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 two months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best. 30: CIRCLE IN THE SAND - BELINDA CARLISLE (debut) - This was Belinda's fourth and final Top Ten hit. This one was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990. 29: ONE GOOD REASON - PAUL CARRACK (35) - It looked like this song was somewhat riding on the coattails of his Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Don't Shed A Tear", as this song only got as high as #28 the following week. I liked both songs about the same, but my favorite of Carrack's solo hits was his AC hit from 1997 "For Once In Our Lives". 28: STRANGE BUT TRUE - TIMES TWO (34) - A rather faceless band, but a great song! I felt it was underrated. 27: SAY IT AGAIN - JERMAINE STEWART (28) - Had this one been released about five to ten years before, it might have gotten higher than #27, as it sounds a little more like something from earlier in the 1980s. Of his two Top 40 hits, this was my favorite. 26: MY GIRL – SUAVE (30) - The fourth rendition of this song that was first a hit for the Temptations a year before this LA singer was even born. It was a great rendition of the song, updated to fit the late-80s more. That said, I'm somewhat surprised that it did not get any higher than #20 on the charts. 25: TOGETHER FOREVER - RICK ASTLEY (36) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. This one was more or less a watered-down version of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I preferred the next hit from the Whenever You Need Somebody album, "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". The title track was also a great song, but that one wasn't released here in the states, which I thought was a shame (though as I recall, that was a decent-sized hit on the dance chart). 24: DREAMING - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (26) - They had a total of four hits on the charts, and this was their second biggest behind "If You Leave". It was pretty much a toss-up between this one and "So In Love" as my favorite song by them. 23: I WISH I HAD A GIRL - HENRY LEE SUMMER (20) - 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. 22: PAMELA - TOTO (23) - This was their second hit with a woman's name. I wasn't a big fan of this song, since, at the time, 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 climb any higher than here at #22. 21: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (27) - As always, the story about how Hall & Oates became a duo was interesting. They were indeed very successful, having been charting for twelve years at this point (though they had been absent from the chart for three years as Daryl had a brief solo career). This, however, would end up being their final Top Ten hit. This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. Is it me, or did they cut out the bridge more often than not? OPTIONAL EXTRA: ANGEL OF HARLEM - U2 - This was the second single from their 1988 album Rattle And Hum, and the last to hit the Top 40. I thought this was a good song, a little better than “Desire”. 20: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (9) - Interesting how this song fared better on the charts then the original by the Beatles. While the latter peaked at #14 back in 1964, Tiffany's cover did twice as well, getting as high as #7. 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). 19: ONE STEP UP - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (14) - 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. A good song, IMO. 18: PIANO IN THE DARK - BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (21) - Like the other Brenda on the chart this week, she had two Top 40 hits. Actually, that was all she had on the Hot 100 as well - I guess they didn't promote her 1990 AC hit "Stop Running Away" to Top 40 radio. Not sure if I preferred this one or "So Good, So Right" - both are great songs! 17: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (10) - 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. 16: TWO OCCASIONS - THE DEELE (18) - And right above that song is the R&B band who produced this one (in fact, they were featured singing the second bridge of the song - and even got their name dropped right before it). This song used to be the "Nighty Night" song for Open House Party with John Garabedian. I liked it, but preferred several songs that Babyface did on his own later on down the line. 15: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR - BILLY OCEAN (6) - 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. 14: ONE MORE TRY - GEORGE MICHAEL (22) - When "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was. Not only that, but it went all the way to #1! The song was also one of very few to top the chart for more than two weeks in 1988. How I miss the days when the charts moved fast! There was absolutely no need for a recurrent rule. 13: WAIT - WHITE LION (17) - This hard rock band had two Top 40 hits, both of them Top Tens. I preferred this one (by a wide margin) over the other single, the maudlin "When The Children Cry", which I am SO glad they didn't choose as one of the updated Optional Extras! 12: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (4) - This song just missed becoming the first song with the word "Devil" in the title to hit #1 (and as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet, has it?) Well, anyway, this was my second favorite INXS song from 1988 (behind "New Sensation") but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason. 11: I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – FOREIGNER (16) - I usually like their slow songs, but this one was kind of dull (and I read somewhere that Lou Gramm wasn't a fan of this one either - which had something to do with how under-sung this was). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SURRENDER TO ME - ANN WILSON & ROBIN ZANDER - This was Wilson's second duet with the lead singer of a rock band – in this case, Cheap Trick, who were in the midst their second wave of popularity on the charts. I liked this song, but preferred the other duet, which was 1984's "Almost Paradise", with Mike Reno of Loverboy. 10: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) - SAMANTHA FOX (13) - Of her four Top 40 hits, this was the biggest. Wasn't quite one of my favorites, and it was pretty much rehashed in her next Top 40 hit "I Wanna Have Some Fun". I preferred "Touch Me" and her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You". 9: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (12) - This Aussie band was a two-hit wonder on the charts, as they had two Top 20 hits in 1988. They had peaked at #14 early in the year with "Crazy" and got as high as #7 with this one. They were both great songs, IMO. 8: SHATTERED DREAMS - JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (15) - 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 (as I like both), but I preferred both over "I Don't Want To Be A Hero". For some reason, that one never did much for me. LDD: SOMEWHERE OUT THERE – LINDA RONSTADT AND JAMES INGRAM - 7: PROVE YOUR LOVE - TAYLOR DAYNE (8) - This one was mediocre at best. It paled in comparison to her debut hit "Tell It To My Heart", IMO. 6: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - PET SHOP BOYS (11) - Of the four versions that I've heard (of which Casey played a montage on the April 9 show), this one was far and away my favorite. The other versions were so bland (though I've kind of warmed up to Willie Nelson's version over the years). There was something about the techno beat to this song that made it such a great rendition of the song. 5: PINK CADILLAC - NATALIE COLE (7) - The second of two Springsteen hits on this week's 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. 4: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO - WHITNEY HOUSTON (1) - This was her seventh and last in her streak of #1 songs (which, at the time, was a record), as her next release, "Love Will Save The Day", in fact, barely touched the Top Ten. This was the first of Whitney's slow songs to be produced by Narada Michael Walden (as Michael Masser produced the other three and Whitney's upbeat #1s were all Narada Michael Walden productions). Of those seven #1s, this was my favorite, so I'm glad that this song made it all the way to the top! 3: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (3) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: A LITTLE RESPECT - ERASURE - Their first hit, "Chains Of Love" would peak at #12 in late October and their second single hit the Top 20 as well. I seem to recall both songs, which I liked about the same, were big American Dance Traxx hits. 2: ANYTHING FOR YOU - GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (5) - As this song was topping the R&R chart for the first of two weeks, it barely fell short on the Hot 100. It would make it the following week, making it their first and only #1 hit (though Gloria would log two more #1s billed as a solo artist). They played the "Spanglish" version of the song this week. 1: WISHING WELL - TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY (2) - Like "Angel", this was another song that started off kind of slow (moving 40-35 in its first two weeks on AT40). But it did not stop until it reached the top. It was a great song, but I slightly preferred "Sign Your Name".
BTW, you might have noticed that I don't have critiques prepared for the Marc Elliott tribute shows. Those will only be done if I get around to hearing them. Not sure how many stations (that are available on live stream) will be playing the shows - as of now, there are no confirmations of either one.
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