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Post by Hervard on Sept 17, 2021 13:05:30 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 18, 2021
This week's presentation - September 16, 1978
Droppers: STEPPIN' IN A SLIDE ZONE - THE MOODY BLUES (39) - Not one of their more successful hits, as #39 was all the further it got. This wasn't bad, but definitely not their best. I generally prefer their 80s hits over their ones from the 70s. THINK IT OVER - CHERYL LADD (34) - Ah, one of Charlie's Angels made the Top 40. Her voice reminded me a little of Olivia Newton-John, whose music style wasn't all that different, either. This song only got to #34 the week before, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song!
40: PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT - MEAT LOAF (debut) - This one was kinda weird - pretty much several different songs in one. I preferred his other 1978 hit. 39: MY ANGEL BABY - TOBY BEAU (27) - It was a group, not a solo male, like many people thought (such was the case with Pablo Cruise, coming up a little later in the show). The song was pretty good - one I vaguely remember from back in the day. 38: TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE - EDDIE MONEY (22) - As usual, they played a different version of this song than was usually heard on the radio (the single version, I would imagine). I remember hearing this one quite regularly back in the day. I liked it, but I preferred several others from the Money Man. 37: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - PABLO CRUISE (21) - Here is that band I mentioned earlier. I remember this song quite well from back in the day. A great song, though I slightly preferred "What'cha Gonna Do", from the previous summer. 36: 5-7-0-5 - CITY BOY (40) - They apparently chose to omit the prefix from the number, to spare people who happened to have such a number all the nuisance calls. Anyway, this song wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to. 35: WHO ARE YOU - THE WHO (debut) - What I really want to know is who is the person whose idea it was to include the falsetto for the chorus of this song? It is supremely annoying and negates any redeeming qualities the song might have. But that's just me; the song did hit the Top 20 and still gets a lot of recurrent airplay on classic rock stations today, so it's all good. I just don't care for the song, that's all. 34: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP - CRYSTAL GAYLE (38) - Ah, one of the signs that your man might be cheating! Crystal Gayle, like her ister Loretta Lynn, was mainly a country artist, but she did have a handful of songs that crossed over to the Pop charts (while Loretta had nary a one). This was my favorite of the four that hit the Top 40 - a great song indeed! 33: I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE - ALICIA BRIDGES (37) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but this one is an exception - in fact, it is one of my favorite songs on this week's chart. There's just something about it that I really like. It sure got a lot of mileage on the charts - debuted the week before but wouldn't peak until Christmastime! 32: YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (36) - Of course, love didn't keep them together and they got divorced several years back. As for this song, it definitely wasn't their best, but it's still better than the barf-inducing "Muskrat Love" (which I imagine we'll hear on a fall, 1976 show in the next month or so). 31: SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN - BILLY JOEL (35) - The final release from The Stranger, possibly Joel's best album ever, IMO. This was possibly my favorite of them, but it would be in a horse race, as all four singles from that album were great, IMO. 30: ROCK & ROLL FANTASY - KINKS (31) - Their comeback Top 40 hit, after being absent from the chart since their Top Ten anthem "Lola". This song got as high as #30 the following week, but they'd be back about four and a half years later with what would become their biggest hit ever, "Come Dancing". As for this song, it was pretty good, but I preferred Bad Company's song of the same title from the following summer. 29: COME TOGETHER - AEROSMITH (33) - A remake of a Beatles classic, and it doesn't sound much different than the original. Because of that, I like both versions about the same. 28: GET OFF - FOXY (32) - Not a huge fan of this one, since it's the roof-raising R&B of which I'm not a huge fan. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DOUBLE VISION - FOREIGNER - The second single from the album of the same title. This song is in a horse race with "Blue Morning, Blue Day" as my favorite song from the album. 27: JUST WHAT I NEEDED - THE CARS (28) - This song has aged quite well. Given all the recurrent airplay it receives on oldies and rock stations, I'm surprised that it peaked so low (peaked right here at #27). 26: BACK IN THE USA - LINDA RONSTADT (30) - Just as Elvis Presley was the king of Rock & Roll, Ronstadt was the queen of covers. This was originally done by Chuck Berry, back in the late 1950s. With such a strong debut the week before, this song had already bested that song's peak of #37. 25: CLOSE THE DOOR - TEDDY PENDERGRASS (26) - This was pretty much your typical old school R&B. It was pleasant, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 24: RIGHT DOWN THE LINE - GERRY RAFFERTY (29) - Pretty slow chart this week, as this was the biggest mover of the week. This was Rafferty's second chart entry, as well as his second highest charting song. Of the songs of his that I'm familiar with, this would be my favorite. 23: LOVE THEME FROM "THE EYES OF LAURA MARS" - BARBRA STREISAND (25) - She was about two months away from debuting with her whiny duet with Neil Diamond. This song had a promising start (moving ahead ten spots the week before), but it quickly ran out of gas at #21, which was a shame, since I thought it was a great one - reminded me a little of "Wildflower" by Skylark. 22: MAGNET AND STEEL - WALTER EGAN (20) - One of two songs on this week's chart to feature Stevie Nicks, who this song was said to be about. She was also heard singing back-up on this song, which somehow, I associate more with the fall of 1978 instead of the summer (probably because that was when WLS played the song; it peaked on their survey in late October). I liked this song, but preferred Egan's "Fool Moon Fire", a mid-charter in 1983. 21: OH DARLIN' - ROBIN GIBB (24) - The first Top 40 hit from Gibb as a solo artist. This is one of the three Top 40 hits from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack in the countdown this week. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred his other Top 40 hit from six years later, entitled "Boys Do Fall In Love". 20: MISS YOU - THE ROLLING STONES (15) - Meh, as you probably know all too well, I was not a big fan of this song by any means, but I liked their other disco song, which would hit the Top Five two years later. 19: WHENEVER I CALL YOU 'FRIEND' - KENNY LOGGINS w/STEVIE NICKS (23) - YES!! This is possibly my favorite song on this week's chart - definitely one of my favorites from both artists involved! 18: GREASE - FRANKI VALLI (6) - The title track to one of the biggest movie soundtracks ever was dropping out of the top spot - another sign that "Grease Fever" was wearing off. Though I still prefer the other charted songs from Grease, I've actually found myself liking the song a little better than I did previously. LDD: SOMETIMES WHAN WE TOUCH - DAN HILL - This man seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, a title he held for nearly ten years, but the day was saved in the late summer of 1987, when his duet with Vonda Shepard "Can't We Try" came along and broke the curse. I preferred that song, as well as a few other Dan Hill songs, over this one, but it still is a good one. 17: HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS - BOB SEGER (19) - I don't remember this song from its chart run as much as I do hearing it on the Stranger In Town album, which my Mom played all the time back in 1979. It's a pretty good song, but the only single from the album that I really liked was "Still The Same". There were several other songs on the album that I felt should have been released as singles. 16: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY (18) - Murray's only #1 hit on the Hot 100. It was a rather slow climber - it wouldn't hit the top until three months later (ironically, the song it knocked out of the top spot held the record at the time for THE slowest climb to #1). As for my opinion of this song - well, it was during her heyday, which started with this song, so I liked it a lot - one of my all-time faves from her! 15: REMINISCING - THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (17) - The first of two Top Ten hits from their album Sleeper Catcher. It's a great one but, of course, I preferred "Lady". As usual, this song was mercilessly butchered. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOW MUCH I FEEL - AMBROSIA - This was their first of two Top Ten hits, and both of them are my favorites from them - not sure which one I prefer, but both of them are great songs! 14: YOU AND I - RICK JAMES (16) - Meh, nothing special - sounds like most of the disco material from the late-70s, by a man who had the most success on the R&B chart. He did have a handful of Top 40 hits, though, and this was the most successful of them, peaking at #13. 13: LOVE IS IN THE AIR - JOHN PAUL YOUNG (14) - As we all know, I'm not a disco fan, but this song was actually a pretty good song - one I remember from back in the day. 12: FOOL IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER - CHRIS REA (13) - Here's another song I remember quite well. About ten years after he charted with this, he recorded a new version, which did not do justice to the original at all. He also had an AC hit in the summer of 1989, entitled "On The Beach". That is actually my favorite of the two songs, although this one was a good one as well. 11: HOT CHILD IN THE CITY - NICK GILDER (11) - This song, of course, set the record for the longest climb to #1 - a record it held by itself until a little less than a year later. It was a good song - had that summertime feel to it. Had Gilder known how long it was going to take to reach the top, I wonder if he would have released it several months earlier. 10: SHAME - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING (9) - Her first of four Top 40 hits. It's not bad, but my favorite song from her is "Love Come Down", which we'll hopefully hear on the next show from 1982, when it hit the Top 20. 9: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (10) - The last of three songs from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack on this week's chart. It was also the most successful, peaking at #9 this very week. This was an interesting rendition of the Beatles classic. Of course the original was the best, but this one was pretty good too. 8: DON'T LOOK BACK - BOSTON (12) - This song was really burning up the chart, looking like it might be their first #1 hit. Well, it didn't quite get that far, but it did become their highest-peaking song thus far, hitting #4. The song would hold that honor for eight years, until their successful comeback in 1986. I've somehow come to like this song better than I had previously (as I never cared for it). 7: SUMMER NIGHTS - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (8) - The second of two top 40 duets for the stars of the movie Grease. Of those two songs, it would be my favorite (though "You're The One That I Want" is a great one as well). I seem to remember that Casey predicted that this song would perhaps hit #1 like their first duet, but, in fact, this song would peak only three spots higher. Indeed, "Grease Fever" was starting to burn out! 6: AN EVERLASTING LOVE - ANDY GIBB (7) - Another song that Casey said could be a future #1, as Gibb's previous three hits topped the chart, but this song, like the above song, would peak at #5. Too bad, as it was one of my favorite songs from Gibb. But it was a Top Five hit, so that's cool. Casey mentioned that Gibb had set the record for most weeks at #1 for a solo artist, with 13 weeks and mentioned that he could further extend his record. Of course, that did not happen, as the song with which he had set the record, "Shadow Dancing" was his final chart topper. 5: KISS YOU ALL OVER - EXILE (5) - 1978 was definitely a good year for producer Mike Chapman, as he had at least two songs that topped the chart that fall (back-to-back, nonetheless). This was the first of them. Of the two, I preferred the Nick Gilder song. This song was pretty good, too, but after the situation in the movie "Happy Gilmore" involving this song, I've never been able to look at this song in the same light ever again. 4: HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (4) - As I've mentioned before, this was a special song between me and my ex-girlfriend, so it's been sort of hard to listen to, but you know what, we never really listened to it that often or even talked much about it, so I guess it's not as bad as it could have been, and I have been able to appreciate the natural beauty of this song more and more as the years have passed (especially since our paths crossed a few years back and she and I actually had a brief conversation, letting me know that we were at least back on speaking terms again). 3: HOT BLOODED - FOREIGNER (3) - Of course, this song's intro is very similar to the Pablo Cruise song back at #21. Of their three singles from Double Vision, this would be my least favorite, but it's a great song nevertheless. I remember that this was also my older brother's favorite song back in the day. OPTIONAL EXTRA: READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN - Well, he indeed took a chance earlier in the year with an upbeat song, which proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. This time around, he returned to his usual ballad style with a song that came close to hitting the Top Ten, but only got as high as #11. Such a shame, as it's a great song - one of his best 70s hits. 2: THREE TIMES A LADY - THE COMMODORES (2) - On the corresponding R&R chart, this song was spending a sixth week at #1, and was trying hard to get back into the top spot on the Hot 100, where it had recently spent a pair of weeks, but the song at #1, which had leapfrogged over this song two weeks before, was just too tough for it. I loved this song - so did a lot of other people, as it became a very popular LDD song (and was played at many wedding receptions as well). 1: BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE - A TASTE OF HONEY (1) - This is another one of my favorite disco songs. Glad that this one made it to #1! I always thought that the bridge of the song (where they sing 'Get down, Boogie Oogie Oogie x 3) would have worked great for the chorus. Too bad they cut out the second verse and skipped right to said bridge (which Casey talked over most of as he was outro-ing the song). You don't do that with a #1 song!
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Post by Hervard on Sept 17, 2021 13:06:03 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 18, 2021
This weekend's presentation - September 21, 1985
Droppers: SPANISH EDDIE - LAURA BRANIGAN (40) - Possibly her most underrated song ever, as the song only got as high as #40. I feel it deserved a higher peak, as it was one of her best songs IMO. IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY, SET THEM FREE - STING (39) - This song, Sting's first of many solo Top 40 hits, was said to be an antidote to his biggest hit ever, "Every Breath You Take", which he considered "a really nasty song". Whether that's true or not, I'm not completely sure, but either way, I like this song, but generally preferred his 90s hits. MYSTERY LADY - BILLY OCEAN (38) - One of only three Top 40 hits during Ocean's chart career that did not hit the Top 20. I guess slow jams like this were passé. Anyway, I thought it was a good song, though certainly not his best. DO YOU WANT CRYING - KATRINA & THE WAVES (37) - This song was clearly riding on the coattails of their recent Top Ten hit "Walking On Sunshine", as #37 was all the higher it got. I liked it, but preferred said Top Ten hit. WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (30) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s.
40: SUNSET GRILL - DON HENLEY (debut) - The last of four singles from "Building The Perfect Beast", and my favorite from the album (though "Not Enough Love In The World" is a close second). This song peaked at #14 on the R&R chart, but didn't even hit the Top 20 on the Hot 100 (1982, anyone?) 39: HEAD OVER HEELS - TEARS FOR FEARS (debut) - No case of Third Single Syndrome here! Though it didn't hit #1 like the last two, it did get as high as #3. This is by far my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from Songs From The Big Chair. 38: I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR PLAYHOUSE DOWN - PAUL YOUNG (debut) - He seemed to do best with remakes, as both of his Top Ten hits were previously done by other acts. But this one didn't miss the Top Ten by much, peaking at #13. It was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Everytime You Go Away", my favorite song from him! 37: THEME FROM "MIAMI VICE" - JAN HAMMER (debut) - One of two instrumentals on this week's survey, which hadn't happened since the summer of 1982. Anyway, I liked this song, but I preferred the other two instrumentals that hit the Top 40 in 1985. 36: NO LOOKIN' BACK - MICHAEL McDONALD (34) - Co-written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (along with Ed Sanford, of "Smoke From A Distant Fire" fame), this song appeared on both Loggins' 1985 album Vox Humana and Michael McDonald's album to which this was the title track. Both versions sound very much alike, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Either way, it's a great song! 35: FOUR IN THE MORNING (I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE) - NIGHT RANGER (debut) - As I've said many times, I loved most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. Not really sure what my favorite song from them is - I like everything (except for "Don't Tell Me You Love Me") about the same. 34: LIFE IN ONE DAY - HOWARD JONES (26) - Well, he did finally hit the Top Ten earlier in the year with "Things Can Only Get Better". This one did well too, peaking in the teens. It was my favorite of his hits up to this point (my absolute favorite would chart a little less thana year later). 33: NEVER SURRENDER - COREY HART (23) - This was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all. 32: SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS (22) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without. 31: A NITE AT THE APOLLO LIVE! THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO/MY GIRL (LIVE AT THE APOLLO) - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES w/DAVID RUFFIN & EDDIE KENDRICK (35) - This was a great rendition of these two classics by the Temptations - very energetic, as many live hits are. 30: LOVIN' EVERY MINUTE OF IT - LOVERBOY (33) - This song somewhat defies the general rule that the lower their songs peak, the less obscure they are, as this one was one of two Top Ten hits from them (yes, I thought they had more as well) and gets occasional recurrent airplay. Their other Top Ten hit, "This Could Be The Night" receives virtually no recurrent airplay, which is a shame IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I MISS YOU - KLYMAXX - Hard to believe that one of the biggest hits of 1986 made its first appearance on the Hot 100 when, technically, it was still summer (the song had debuted the previous week). But due to its tenacity, as well as Billboard's rule of including a song's entire chart run, it wound up as the third biggest hit of '86. Of their three Top 40 hits, it is my least favorite, but it is still a great song IMO. 29: I'M GOIN DOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (36) - He may have been goin' down, but the song was on its way up, en route to #9. It was a good song, but one of my least favorites of the seven Born In The USA singles. 28: I GOT YOU BABE - UB40 WITH CHRISSIE HYDE (32) - A very interesting reggae version of the Sonny & Cher classic. Too bad they didn't re-release it later on like they did "Red Red Wine", since it may have done a little better on the charts. 27: SHAME - THE MOTELS (21) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit. It was my least favorite of their hits, but was still a great one - that said, it's too bad they didn't have more Top 40 hits. LDD: DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) - SIMPLE MINDS - Definitely fitting for the dedication, as it was from a young woman in upper Michigan to a foreign exchange student that she and her family hosted, who hoped to return to the States to see them again. 26: EVERY STEP OF THE WAY - JOHN WAITE (29) - His first solo hit, "Missing You" went to #1, but he couldn't seem to match that success with any of his follow-ups. This song, which uses a line from that song as the opening lyrics, was underrated, IMO. 25: C-I-T-Y - JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (34) - They had a nice little string of hits over the past year. This song, their fourth, would probably be my second favorite of them behind "Tough All Over". 24: PART TIME LOVER - STEVIE WONDER (31) - The first of three Top 40 hits from Wonder's In Square Circle album, and his ninth and final #1 hit (unless you count his role in "That's What Friends Are For") 23: FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART - STING (27) - As his first solo hit left the chart, his second solo hit was heading up the chart, en route to a peak at #8. This would be my favorite of the four hits from the Dream Of The Blue Turtles album. 22: THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL - EURYTHMICS (24) - Of course, we know full well that this is my favorite of their Top 40 hits! Lennox's vocals are somewhat theatrical sounding, and Stevie Wonder does a killer harmonica solo in the bridge of the song! 21: SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS (11) - To tie in with this song, Casey talked about two important events during the summer of '69 - the first time that man walked on the moon, and the New York Mets celebrating their unheard of eighth season as a MLB franchise (or something like that), ultimately winning the World Series that year. Little did Casey know that they'd repeat that win the following year! 20: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM - MOTLEY CRUE (16) - Something I got caught doing once back in my sophomore year. Fortunately, the teacher just scoffed and walked off - didn't want to waste his time apparently, so I dodged a bullet there! As for the song, it was a pretty good song, considering I wasn't a huge fan of them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME - THOMPSON TWINS - For years, I had no idea where they got this name, since they're a trio (and not even related) nor is anyone named Thompson (I have since found out from a fellow poster (thanks, bestmusicexpert), that they were named after the two bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson in Hergé's comic strip The Adventures of Tintin). Anyhoo, I'm not a big fan of this song - my least favorite of their charted hits. 19: CRY - GODLEY & CREME (20) - "Huh huh - he's faking. He's not really taking a dump!" Yeah, when I saw the episode of Beavis & Butthead with the video to this song, I never saw it the same way again! 18: YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL (12) - I liked the way that Joel decided not to go back and correct the goof in this song (when he flubbed a line near the end and laughed) in order to prove the point he was making in this song, which I thought was a good one, but it wasn't his best. 17: DANCING IN THE STREET - MICK JAGGER & DAVID BOWIE (25) - This remake of the old Martha & the Vandella’s classic was the biggest mover of the week. It was a good song - I liked it about the same as the original. 16: FREEWAY OF LOVE - ARETHA FRANKLIN (7) - With none other than Clarence Clemons playing sax, this was Aretha's comeback hit - that put her back into the Top Ten, that is. It was definitely a comeback over on the R&R chart, from where she'd been absent for over eleven years. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album, as well as a few of her songs after that. 15: LONELY 'OL NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (19) - The first of five Top 40 hits from Mellencamp's album Scarecrow and possibly my favorite song from the album (although "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and "Rain On The Scarecrow" were good ones as well). 14: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU - WHITNEY HOUSTON (18) - This would be her first of many #1 songs. It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her. LDD/OBIT: SUKIYAKI - KYU SAKAMOTO - Well, this song was indeed appropriate for the dedication, because it was dedicated to Kyu himself, who had tragically died in a plane crash a month earlier. I do still prefer the version by 4PM from 1994. 13: TAKE ON ME - A-HA (17) - The first hit for this Norwegian act, who's often known as a one-hit wonder, because of this song (as not everyone is familiar with "The Sun Always Shines On TV"). This was a great song, and I'm glad it hit #1! 12: INVINCIBLE (THEME FROM "THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN") - PAT BENATAR (10) - Her fourth and final Top Ten hit (you thought she had more, didn't you?) Anyway, this wasn't quite my favorite song from her, but it was pretty good. 11: DARE ME - THE POINTER SISTERS (13) - Ah, the infamous “uptempo g**d**ned number”, as Casey Kasem put it in the infamous Dead Dog Dedication the week before. It’s a good song. I’ve said many times that the Pointer Sisters’ music quality started going down as of 1984, but this was an exception. 10: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (14) - Madonna was on a roll at this point, with five Top Fives in a row (this one would follow suit), and there was a lot more where that came from! In fact, Casey mentioned that she was in third place for the female solo artist with the most consecutive Top Tens, behind Connie Francis and Donna Summer, each of whom had eight consecutive Top Tens. Of course Madonna ended up surpassing them, and then some. Anyway, this was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU BELONG TO THE CITY - GLENN FREY - His second of two contributions to Miami Vice (that charted, anyway). My favorite would probably be the other one, "Smuggler's Blues", which charted earlier in the year. 9: OH SHEILA - READY FOR THE WORLD (15) - The first of three Top 40 hits from this R&B band from Flint, Michigan, as well as the biggest (would hit #1 in October). It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Love You Down". 8: POWER OF LOVE - HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (5) - A song from one of the best movies ever, IMO. I loved the Back To The Future trilogy! This was played in the first one as Marty McFly rode his skateboard to school after finding out he was 20 minutes late, hoping to dodge his principal, but no such luck. This is possibly the song by Lewis that gets the most recurrent airplay anymore. I like it, but wish that radio stations would occasionally play a few of their big hits that are all but ignored nowadays 7: POP LIFE - PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION (9) - This was one of my favorite songs by Prince, but it sure seemed to come and go pretty quickly. It didn't even make the Top 100 of the year (even though it did hit the Top Five), which I thought was a shame. It did a lot better on my Personal Top 30, though, hitting #1 and ranking #4 on the year-ender. 6: FREEDOM - WHAM (8) - This used to be my favorite song ever since I first heard it in mid-June, 1985, when B-96 gave this song early action, when "Everything You Want" was still in the Top Ten. However, overplay sort of dimmed my like for this song. This song had a normal climb up the BB chart, but was burning up the R&R chart until it hit the Top Ten, and it only got as high as #6. I have a feeling that early action on other stations besides B-96 played a role in that. It peaked at #3 on Billboard though, which is surprising, seeing that this was their fourth single from "Make It Big". Usually, sales are quite small for fourth singles, especially from such a successful album as "Make It Big" was. Maybe the fact that the single version was different than the album version (I think) was instrumental in that (wasn't the single version the one with the trumpet solo at the end?) 5: DON'T LOSE MY NUMBER - PHIL COLLINS (6) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album. 4: WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME) - TINA TURNER (2) - Like Heart, Tina Turner was definitely most successful on the charts during her 1980s comeback, and this is one of her biggest hits, just missing the top spot, peaking at #2. I thought it was a good song, though I preferred a few of her others. LDD: DON'T WALK AWAY - RICK SPRINGFIELD - Wow, definitely an interesting choice for a LDD request. It was indeed appropriate for the dedication, since it was from a young girl to her young husband (both were teenagers), who presumably had walked away because he couldn't deal with the stress in their marriage. 3: ST. ELMO'S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) - JOHN PARR (1) - The first of two songs from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack to hit the Top 40. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie, which would debut on the countdown two weeks later. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE BUILT THIS CITY - STARSHIP - They were poised to hit the Top 40 the following week with their first hit under their name without Jefferson attached to it. It was a great song - one of their best, under any of their names. 2: CHERISH - KOOL & THE GANG (4) - This song just barely missed hitting #1 for this, but the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, I liked this song - it was my second favorite single from Emergency behind "Fresh". 1: MONEY FOR NOTHING - DIRE STRAITS (3) - Of course, this was the song that kept "Cherish" out of the top spot. It was one of two songs on this week's chart that Sting's involved with (of course, he's the one who wants his MTV). The song was OK, but it was very overplayed. I preferred their three other Top 40 hits, as well as a few album cuts from their first, self-titled album.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 17, 2021 13:32:45 GMT -5
"Paradise By The Dashboard Light" is a bonafide classic which features Ellen Foley & the legendary NY Yankee/sportscaster Phil Rizzuto.
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Sept 17, 2021 14:36:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 18, 2021
This weekend's presentation - September 21, 1985 32: SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS (22) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without.
🎵🎶Shout, shout...let it all out. This is a song I can do without...🎶🎵 😂😂😂 This was the first 45 that I ever bought.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 19, 2021 21:30:02 GMT -5
"Sukiyaki" was a hit again in 1981 for A Taste Of Honey-Interesting to note that their version appeared on the same label as the original by Kyu Sakamoto:Capitol Records.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 24, 2021 13:13:56 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 25, 2021
This week's presentation - September 18, 1976
Droppers: ROCK & ROLL MUSIC - BEACH BOYS (37) - This song definitely showed that, even though the sixties was clearly their decade, they still had it in the 70s! TURN THE BEAT AROUND - VICKI SUE ROBINSON (36) - There definitely is not much difference between this and Gloria Estefan's cover 18 years later. That said, I don't know which version I prefer. LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (33) - Now here is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1976, as the radio stations I listened to played it constantly. I definitely prefer it over "Dream Weaver", which is the only of Wright's three hits that receives any recurrent airplay (though once in a blue moon I do hear this one). GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (32) - Wow, lots of descending songs in the lower quadrant of the chart. I wonder if there was a ton of debuts on September 18? My memory isn't quite as good as it used to be. Anyway, this song had hit the Top Ten earlier in the summer - twice (as it peaked at #6 in July, dropped to #13 and returned to the Top Ten for a two-week encore). This song was OK, but Jim Seals sounded like he had a runny nose in this song.
40: SUNRISE - ERIC CARMEN (debut) - This was his third Top 40 hit. It was pretty good (reminds me a little of "Old Days" by Chicago), but I preferred his other two hits from earlier that year. I do really like the guitar solo at the beginning. 39: IT'S OK - BEACH BOYS (debut) - The title pretty much matches my opinion of the song. I preferred their Top Ten hit, "Rock And Roll Music" that dropped off this week, as well as a few of their sixties hits that the band is most famous for. 38: GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (debut) - Great song! That is, if you’re into R&B disco, which, unfortunately, I’m not (but you already knew that, right?) Anyway, I realize that a lot of people dig that kind of music, so they probably like this song - and really, more power to them. It just doesn't do anything for me. 37: DR. TARR & PROFESSOR FETHER - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (39) - This was the first Top 40 hit for "the Project". Though I preferred their 80s hits, especially the ones with Eric Woolfson on vocals, this was a good one too. 36: SUPERSTAR - PAUL DAVIS (40) - This was a tribute to many artists that were truly superstars, like Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. Not bad, but I preferred most of his other hits. 35: I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU - BAY CITY ROLLERS (debut) - Here's one I remember from back in the day! This was the first of two remakes of this song, originally by Dusty Springfield, to make the Top 40. The second one came in April, 1989 for Samantha Fox. I like both of them about the same. 34: KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - MANHATTANS (34) - *GROAN* They went with the version of the song that includes the spoken word part at the beginning. Come on, the song's depressing enough, huh? Anyway, as we all know, I preferred "Shining Star" over this song any day! 33: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (35) - No, this was not the original version of the song Journey charted with at the end of 1981. It was completely different. But you already knew that, right? Anyway the song was pretty good, but sounds a lot like her other mid-70s hits. I preferred said Journey song. 32: I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE - HELEN REDDY (29) - Indeed, it was kind of refreshing to hear a non-cheesy song from her. I don’t even mind the fact that this is disco. Interesting story about how her kidney disease, which killed her aspiration of being a dancer, led to her singing career. 31: (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER - BLUE OYSTER CULT (38) - A classic rock staple here. The one that radio usually plays features the instrumental bridge, but it was cut out in the single version of this song. 30: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (24) -As Frampton Comes Alive continued to have an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart, the second single from it was on its way down this week, having peaked at #12 a few weeks back. The song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from what would become the top album of the year. 29: THIS MASQUERADE - GEORGE BENSON (16) - A nice, mellow chill-out type jazz song, as was his next release, the instrumental "Breezin'". Too bad the latter didn't hit the Top 40. 28: ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME - DIANA ROSS (30) - I assume that it's no coincidence that this sounded so much like her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This was a good song - much better than her previous hit "Love Hangover", but I preferred her other 1976 hit, "Theme From Mahogany". 27: STREET SINGIN' - LADY FLASH (28) - The only hit for Barry Manilow's back-up singers - a throwback to the Motown sound of the 1960s. It was a good song but, of course, I preferred most of Barry's big hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU - BARRY MANILOW - Well speak of the devil! Right after his back-up singers' hit, we have a song from Barry Manilow himself! I'm surprised that Budweiser didn't use this for their commercials back in the 70s (after all, Barry would only have to change one word). Like most of Barry Manilow's songs, I liked it a lot, only I felt that this one was underrated. 26: MAGIC MAN - HEART (31) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou here! This was their second Top 40 hit, and it made the Top Ten, unlike their debut hit, "Crazy On You". Both songs still get regular airplay on classic rock and oldies stations (and I remember both from back in the day, since WLS played them constantly). 25: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - TAVARES (15) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song. 24: LET 'EM IN - WINGS (8) - One of the only songs I've ever heard that opens with a Westminster chime doorbell. As for the song, it is my favorite of Wings' two Top Five hits from 1976. I still preferred a few others from them. 23: ROCK 'N ME - STEVE MILLER BAND (27) - Another one I remember from back in the day! Glad this one got to sneak in a week at the top before Rod Stewart began his marathon run up there. 22: SHOWER THE PEOPLE - JAMES TAYLOR (23) - This is a song that has aged quite well - still sounds great 45 years later! 21: THAT'LL BE THE DAY - LINDA RONSTADT (25) - One of many remakes from her (another of Jess's favorite acts). It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”). 20: SHE'S GONE - HALL & OATES (22) - This was their second hit, and the best was definitely yet to come for this dynamic duo! This song was so/so, but definitely not their best. 19: WHAM BAM SHANG-A-LANG - SILVER (21) - Track 11 on Volume 2 of Barry Scott Presents: Lost 45s of the 70's & 80's, a CD I've listened to many a time, so I've heard this song many times as a result. It's a good one! 18: WHO'D SHE COO - OHIO PLAYERS (20) - Meh, I think we all know why I don't care much for this song... 17: GETAWAY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (19) - Indeed, one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1970s! Though this wasn't quite as good as "That's The Way Of The World" and "September", it was still a good song nevertheless. 16: STILL THE ONE - ORLEANS (18) - They had three Top 20 hits, and I really liked all three of them about the same, but this one would be my favorite by a thin margin over the other two. Glad that they played the entire song (as I seem to recall that they butchered this one more often than not). 15: A LITTLE BIT MORE - DR. HOOK (17) - Meh, this used to be one of my favorite songs from them, but for some reason, such is not the case anymore. Give me "Better Love Next Time" any day! 14: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (9) - Oddly enough, as this song was dropping out of the Top Ten on the Hot 100, it was still sitting at #1 for a record seventh week on the Radio & Records chart! That's one of only times that's ever happened, so it was apparently still getting number one station reports, and for good reason! As you might guess, this was another song I remember quite well from 1976 - I don't think I ever went a day without hearing it. But overplay did not tarnish this song at all, and it still sounds great today! OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S A LONG WAY THERE - LITTLE RIVER BAND - This was the song that started it all off for them here in the states. However, this is possibly my least favorite song from them. It seems to just go on and on. 13: DISCO DUCK - RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS (26) - OK, how in the world did this goofy, annoying song get to #1? Oh yeah, disco was all the rage back in 1976. Whatever... 12: WITH YOUR LOVE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (14) - Another high point for JessieLou! This one sounded very much like their big hit "Miracles", from the year before. I liked it, but I preferred their two 1978 hits when Marty Balin was still lead singer. 11: SAY YOU LOVE ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (12) - Their self-titled album had been out for over a year and finally hit #1 on the album chart the week before, setting a record for the slowest climb to #1 on that chart. As for this song, I thought it was good, though I slightly preferred "Rhiannon". Is it me, or did they play a different version of the song than usual this week? 10: YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - BEE GEES (6) - It was beginning to look like this song was going to peak at #2, but they had just enough oomph to make it to #1 the previous week. This song was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Love So Right". 9: IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW - CHICAGO (11) - Now here's one I heard at least once a day back in the fall of 1976! But I don't think I ever got tired of it. Has a very haunting melody to it (so I guess it was fitting that it would hit #1 on Halloween weekend). 8: SUMMER - WAR (10) - Though summer was drawing to a close, that didn't stop this song from moving up this week. Oddly enough, this song would peak on the weekend of the autumnal equinox. 7: DEVIL WOMAN - CLIFF RICHARD (13) - His first Top 40 hit in over a decade ended up being his biggest hit ever, peaking at #6 a few weeks later. This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his 80s hits. 6: LOWDOWN - BOZ SCAGGS (7) - He had a few low charters in the early-70s and a minor Top 40 hit earlier in 1976, but this is that song that really put him on the map. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his other hits that charted after this. EXTRA: BRING IT ON HOME TO ME - SAM COOKE - This song, which was a typical early-60s song was played as part of a double-feature, since the man singing on the song with Cooke was at #5 on this week's chart. 5: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS (2) - None other than that smooth baritone voice of Lou Rawls! This song just missed hitting #1, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever. 4: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY BAND (5) - This was an interesting disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. One of the most successful instrumentals of all time (and THE most successful instrumental to be adapted from a classical composition - in this case, the Fifth symphony of Ludwig Von Beethoven, hence the song's title). 3: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (4) - The brother of half of the duo Seals & Crofts was en route to peaking at #2 with the first hit for him, along with his "sidekick". This was my favorite song from them. (Please, don’t even get me started on how Barry Manilow totally messed this song up about 20 years later with his dance remake...) OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE RUBBERBAND MAN - THE SPINNERS - What, does he shoot rubberbands at unsuspecting victims? But seriously, this song's OK, but definitely far from being my favorite song from them. This was one of several songs that Rod Stewart shut out of #1 as he had his marathon run at the top about two months later. 2: SHAKE YOUR BOOTY - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (1) - This was the song leapfrogged over poor Lou Rawls, preventing him from snagging his first #1 hit. At this point, they either hit #1 or missed the chart altogether. While I prefer a few others by them, this still is better than their 1979 whinefest "Please Don't Go". 1: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - WILD CHERRY (3) - Here's another song, like the one back at #4, that had a bad cover version years later. Honestly - ever since Vanilla Ice went and effed up this song in early 1991, I never was able to look at this song in the same light ever again!
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Post by Hervard on Sept 24, 2021 13:14:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 25, 2021
This week's presentation - September 22, 1984
I was wondering - does anyone know the story about the LDD of "Eat It" by Weird Al the week before?
As for this week's show... (please note: This critique is still under construction)
Droppers: LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE - BILLY JOEL (38) - For awhile, this looked like it would be the final Top 40 hit from An Innocent Man, but Joel would surprise us in early 1985 with a sixth song. As for this song, it might have fallen into obscurity if not for the fact that it was a #1 AC song and received much airplay at that format. I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (27) - Here's one that I never used to like, but now, I think it's not bad. I still prefer his next two singles. ROUND AND ROUND - RATT (26) - Their first of two Top 40 hits (and the second just barely made it, almost exactly a year later). I liked this, but preferred said second song (which, of course, was "Lay It Down", which was heard on the series two weeks ago).
LW#3: SHE BOP - CYNDI LAUPER LW#2: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE LW#1: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER 40: STRUT - SHEENA EASTON (debut) - This is a song that I hated back in the day. Now, I think it's pretty good, though I generally prefer her earlier hits (save for "Morning Train"). 39: DESERT MOON - DENNIS DEYOUNG (debut) - Styx may not have broken up, but they were noticeably absent from the chart for over six years. Meanwhile, two members of the band would hit with solo hits in 1984 - Dennis was here with his first solo hit (a great song, might I add), and Tommy Shaw would chart several weeks later with "Girls With Guns". 38: ALL OF YOU - JULIO IGLESIAS AND DIANA ROSS (25) - The second hit from Julio's album 1100 Bel Air Place album. I think it's a great song, though I know a few folks who consider it a "No. Just no" song (I guess I can see why, though). You might call this a guilty pleasure of mine! 37: FLESH FOR FANTASY - BILLY IDOL (39) - One of Idol's more obscure hits. I thought it was pretty good, but, as we all know, my favorite song from him is "Sweet Sixteen", from the summer of 1987. 36: WHO WEARS THESE SHOES - ELTON JOHN (40) - The second single from Breaking Hearts, though not quite as successful as the first one, "Sad Songs (Say So Much)". I thought it was a good song (and at least it did manage one week in the Top Ten on the R&R chart). 35: SWEPT AWAY - DIANA ROSS (debut) - After 1982, she sort of burned out, as she could only manage a few mid-chart hits - until she hit the Top Ten the following year with her tribute to Marvin Gaye, which turned out to be her last Top 40 hit. As for this song, it was a pretty good song, but I prefer several others by her, mainly her slower ones. 34: ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE - SPANDAU BALLET (34) - Well, they weren't a one-hit wonder, but they could be called a "one big hit wonder", since their debut hit "True" was a Top Five hit, but the follow-ups didn't come anywhere close to matching that success. Their follow-up, "Gold", barely touched the Top 30, and this one petered out at #34. Of their three hits, I preferred their biggest one. This was a pretty decent song, though. 33: BOP 'TIL YOU DROP - RICK SPRINGFIELD (35) - The third of three Top 40 hits from the movie in which Rick starred, Hard To Hold. It was a good song, but I preferred the other two singles. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I FEEL FOR YOU - CHAKA KHAN - I wasn't too crazy about this song (though it had great harmonica work, provided by Stevie Wonder). I loved Chaka's next release, "Through The Fire", which did not hit the Top 40, but was a pretty decent sized AC hit. 32: ON THE DARK SIDE - JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (37) - A song I remember from both of its chart runs (as, when it was credited to Eddie & The Cruisers the year before, B96 played it in medium rotation). It was a good one, though I preferred "Tough All Over", which charted in the spring of 1985. 31: SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK - ROD STEWART (36) - This song pretty much depicts the story of my life, especially back in my school days! The song itself is a good one. LDD: HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO - Bizarre LDD indeed! About a teenage girl staying with a family, including a man confined to a wheelchair after an accident. The girl tricked him into walking (which doctors said he'd be able to do as long as he tried), but he was so angry and said a few hurtful things to her, which compelled her to leave without a word. Given the story, this was indeed an appropriate song. 30: IF EVER YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN - PEABO BRYSON (21) - One of my favorite R&B singers. I have several of his albums, though I'm not sure I have the one containing this song, which is surprising, considering it's one of my favorites from him of all time. 29: I'M SO EXCITED - THE POINTER SISTERS (33) - Of course, this song was originally released in 1982 and peaked at #30. The decision to re-release it proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. Anyway, despite the slight teenybopper air to this song, I actually thought this song was pretty good. 28: ARE WE OURSELVES - THE FIXX (32) - This was their second biggest hit, behind the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another". It's a good song, but my two favorites from them are "Saved By Zero" and "Secret Separation". 27: GO INSANE - LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM (31) - I personally preferred his early 1982 hit, "Trouble", but I'll tell you what, this song is nowhere near as annoying as "Holiday Road". That song can tend to stick in my mind! 26: THERE GOES MY BABY - DONNA SUMMER (30) - One of several songs by Summer that starts off with a slow tempo and then picks up a little ways into the song. This one was actually one of my favorites from her (though I remember disliking it during its chart run). 25: THE LUCKY ONE - LAURA BRANIGAN (29) - The follow-up to one of her biggest hits, "Self-Control". Like "There Goes My Baby", this song starts off as a ballad and then becomes upbeat. I like this song, but slightly preferred the Donna Summer song. 24: ROCK ME TONIGHT - BILLY SQUIER (16) - Meh, this one wasn't exactly my favorite from Squier. I preferred songs like "In The Dark" and "Everybody Wants You". 23: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE (17) - As his latest hit was gearing up to hit #1, this song was slowly gliding down the chart, having recently spent five weeks at the top. As we all know, I'm not a fan of this song at all. 22: CARIBBEAN QUEEN - BILLY OCEAN (28) - He seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, as "Love Really Hurts Without You" was his only hit for over eight years. But Billy came back with a vengeance in 1984 and there was a lot more where that came from. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BLUE JEAN - DAVID BOWIE - Even though I'm generally not a huge fan of his (and we all know my favorite songs from him were his two 1987 Top 40 hits), this one was actually pretty good. 21: WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT - TWISTED SISTER (23) - This song reminded me a little of "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot. I liked this one a lot. 20: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART (11) - Something you might need to do if you lived at the North Pole in the summer. As for the song, it's good, but I prefer several others from him. 19: TORTURE - THE JACKSONS (22) - Their second song to chart in 1984. Though I definitely prefer this over their other song, I preferred their early-70s songs, when they were known as the Jackson 5. 18: LIGHTS OUT - PETER WOLF (12) - I liked this song, but preferred a few songs from his J. Geils Band, especially "Centerfold". This song was originally supposed to be entitled "Dancing In The Dark", but Wolf changed it to "Lights Out" so as not to confuse it with Springsteen's song. 17: WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES - NIGHT RANGER (19) - They had a slew of great songs in the 80s. There is not a single Top 40 hit of theirs that I don't like - the only one that doesn't quite get "great song" status is their first Top 40 entry, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", from early 1983. 16: LUCKY STAR - MADONNA (24) - The third and final Top 40 single from her first album, as she was gearing up to release Like A Virgin, which would turn out to be even more successful. This song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from her. 15: DYNAMITE - JERMAINE JACKSON (15) - Well, I may not have been much for the two Jacksons hits from 1984, but such is not the case with Jermaine's 2 songs from that year, as those are among my favorites from him. 14: HARD HABIT TO BREAK - CHICAGO (20) - The first of two songs from the Chicago 17 album that hit #1 on R&R, but not Billboard. This was my favorite song from the 17 album by a fairly large margin. 13: GHOSTBUSTERS - RAY PARKER, JR. (9) - This was the theme to one of the most successful movies of 1984. The scandal involving a lawsuit from Huey Lewis & The News is pretty much common knowledge. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many other songs from him, both as a solo artist and with his band Raydio. 12: STUCK ON YOU - LIONEL RICHIE (5) - This was his second county-flavored song (the first was his hit "Sail On" with the Commodores). Not sure if that song ever crossed over to the Country chart, but this one sure did, peaking at #24. Very few songs had ever hit the Top 30 on four different Billboard singles charts. Though I preferred many other songs from Richie (some of them also from the Can't Slow Down album, like this one), it was a good one! 11: COVER ME - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (14) - he second of an incredible seven Top Ten hits from Springsteen's "Born In The USA" album. I liked it, but preferred a few other songs from the album. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I CAN'T HOLD BACK - SURVIVOR - This was my favorite song in the world for quite a long time, from about November 1984 to the beginning of 1985. It still remains one of my favorite songs from Survivor! 10: CRUEL SUMMER - BANANARAMA (13) - Of their three Top 40 hits, this one is right in the middle - I prefer it over their remake of the Shocking Blue's "Venus" but, of course, my favorite song from them is "I Heard A Rumour" 9: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU - STEVIE WONDER (18) - The song was gearing up for a three-week run on top. My favorite version of this song was the one where he used a vocoder as he repeated part of the first verse. Not sure if AT40 ever played that one, but I do remember hearing it on his AC version of his show in early 1995 when he played it as an extra or LDD. Either way, it was a good song and one that would put him in second place for male solo artist with the most #1s (of course, Elvis Presley was comfortably in the lead). 8: THE GLAMOROUS LIFE - SHEILA E. (10) - The first Top 40 hit for this California native whose last name is Escoveto. It was so/so in my opinion, but not quite my cup of tea. I did like her next hit, "The Belle Of St. Mark". LDD: MY WAY - ELVIS PRESLEY - A great rendition of the Frank Sinatra classic! This was my favorite of the ones I've heard (though the only other one I've heard, other than the two listed here, is the one from Kermit The Frog, and even that one had different lyrics and a slightly different melody - it was called "This Frog"). 7: THE WARRIOR - SCANDAL W/ PATTY SMYTH (8) - They had many songs that I've heard, though this was their only Top 40 hit. I preferred other songs from them such as "Goodbye To You" and "Love's Got A Line On You"). 6: IF THIS IS IT - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (6) - Well, this definitely wasn't it, by any means, as he/they were one of the top acts of the entire decade. Anyone notice how this sounds somewhat like a doo-wop version of "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers? Perhaps that's why it's such a good song, as both songs are among my favorite from their respective artists. This was also by far my favorite song from the Sports album. 5: DRIVE - THE CARS (7) - This song is kind of depressing for me due to personal problems I was going through around this time, including being in seventh grade (aka "Hell On Earth"). Definitely my least favorite song from Heartbeat City. 4: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER (1) - Wow, very shortly after her comeback, she snagged the biggest song of her career! This was also true on the R&R chart - even though this song peaked at #2 and "Typical Male" made it to #1, this song spent a month longer on that chart. I wasn't crazy about this song back in the day, but now, I think it's a great one. Like fine wine, it's one of those songs that gets better with age! 3: SHE BOP - CYNDI LAUPER (3) - Cyndi, you naughty girl! But I did like this song - definitely my favorite upbeat song from She's So Unusual and my second favorite from the album, behind her hit that followed this one up in October, "All Through The Night". OPTIONAL: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO - WHAM! - Another song that, like the Pointer Sisters song, has a teenybopper air to it. I liked it back during its chart run, but now, it's just OK. I still like it better than "Careless Whisper" for reasons I have explained here before. 2: LET'S GO CRAZY - PRINCE (4) - I was pleasantly surprised that they played the version of the song with the complete intro. This is my third favorite song from the Purple Rain soundtrack, behind the title cut and "Take Me With U". 1: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE (2) - This song had just spent the past two weeks at #1 on the Radio & Records chart, but had been held at bay on the Hot 100 by Tina Turner, who was nice enough to step aside this week. This was another song I find somewhat depressing, like "Drive" by the Cars. I do rather like the version of the song where you can hear John chanting "Missing You" at the beginning of the song, which, to my pleasant surprise (like the Prince song above), AT40 played this week (as they tended to play the other version, without the chants).
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 24, 2021 13:58:09 GMT -5
Interesting story behind John Waite's "Missing You" which was # 1 on 9/22/84-It was written about his relationship with Nina Blackwood who was one of the original MTV VJ's-She confirmed this in an interview a few years ago.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 25, 2021 6:13:12 GMT -5
Hervard,I detected a slight error-You posted the list from 9/25/76-The designated B countdown this week is from the previous week:9/18/76.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 25, 2021 6:19:40 GMT -5
Hervard,I detected a slight error-You posted the list from 9/25/76-The designated B countdown this week is from the previous week:9/18/76. Just corrected it. I guess I was thinking 9/25 since that's what this weekend is.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 26, 2021 18:20:46 GMT -5
"Strut" by Sheena Easton was one of the debut songs on 9/22/84-It was written by Charlie Dore-If that name sounds familiar,she had a hit in early 1980 called "Pilot Of The Airwaves".
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Post by dth1971 on Sept 26, 2021 21:21:36 GMT -5
"Strut" by Sheena Easton was one of the debut songs on 9/22/84-It was written by Charlie Dore-If that name sounds familiar,she had a hit in early 1980 called "Pilot Of The Airwaves". And Casey introed this song like this: "No, not Sheena of the Jungle, but Sheena of Scotland" - Casey was making a reference to the Sheena, Queen of the Jungle 1984 movie that aired late Summer of that 1984 year which starred the late Tanya Roberts.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 30, 2021 15:56:18 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - October 2, 2021
This week's presentation - October 6, 1979
Droppers: AIN'T THAT A SHAME - CHEAP TRICK (35) - Anyone ever notice how the beginning of this song is exactly the same as their first Hot 100 hit "Surrender"? THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT - BARBRA STREISAND (32) - Known for her slow songs, Streisand has had a few upbeat songs, like this one, as well as her upcoming duet with Donna Summer. I preferred this one over the latter, but I preferred a few of her slower ones. I DO LOVE YOU - GQ (20) - I seem to remember that this one was a good one, but I'll have to check it on YouTube when get a chance.
LW#3: RISE - HERB ALPERT LW#2: SAD EYES - ROBERT JOHN LW#1: MY SHARONA - THE KNACK
I think all three songs are on this weeks chart, aren't they?
40: GOOD FRIEND - MARY MacGREGOR (debut) - Many people consider her a one-hit wonder, but she did have a minor hit after that. This one was much better than "Snoozefesting Between Two Lovers" (hmmm, that sounds kind of dirty, doesn't it?) 39: GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY - BOB DYLAN (debut) - Not a big Bob Dylan fan, but this one was actually pretty good. 38: GOOD TIMES - CHIC (25) - This one is kind of overplayed, but I do prefer it over "La Freak". 37: PLEASE DON'T GO - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (39) - Ugh! Please DO go and take this annoying whinefest with you! Thanks in advance! 36: MIDNIGHT WIND - JOHN STEWART (38) - This song features Stevie Nicks on back-up vocals like his first hit "Gold", which I preferred over this one, but both songs are good. LDD: YOU'RE SIXTEEN - RINGO STARR - Interesting LDD, as this song was from the author to herself for making it through her sixteenth year. As for the song, I preferred this one over the original by Johnny Burnette. 35: THIS NIGHT WON'T LAST FOREVER - MICHAEL JOHNSON (37) - This is possibly my favorite song on the countdown (too bad the live stream had to cut off in the middle of the commercial break before it). 34: HOLD ON - IAN GOMM (debut) - Pretty much your typical MOR song of the late-70s. It was pretty good, IMO. 33: I KNOW A HEARTACHE WHEN I SEE ONE - JENNIFER WARNES (36) - This song was apparently inspired by “Rhythm Of The Rain”. I also noted a little similarity between the choruses of this and “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. AT40 ARCHIVES: FALLIN' IN LOVE - HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS - Their second and biggest hit, reaching #1 just a few weeks later. I thought this was a good song. Canadian rapper Drake must have thought so too, for he sampled it in his first Top 40 hit "Best I Ever Had" from 2009. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TUSK - FLEETWOOD MAC f/USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND (9) - That would be how the song would be credited on today's charts, anyway. Ah yes, those were the good old days where you had to do more than cut a fart to have your name featured on a song's credits. Anyway, this song wasted absolutely no time hitting the Top Ten and it looked like they were number one bound, but oddly enough, the song peaked at #8 in only its fifth week on. Probably because it was such a weird song. I myself wasn't a huge fan of it, due to how odd, as well as repetitive, as it was. I preferred the next release from the album of the same name. 32: COME TO ME - FRANCE JOLI (40) - This song sounded like something that Donna Summer would record, especially the way that it starts off slow and then picks up the pace. It's a good song. 31: ROLENE - MOON MARTIN (34) - Here's a song I remember from back in the day, since a lot of the stations that I listened to played it. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. 30: ARROW THROUGH ME - WINGS (33) - Wow, this was kind of different for them - this one had a taste of smooth jazz to it. It was a great one - too bad it didn't get past #29 on the chart. 29: LEAD ME ON - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (17) - Of course, we all know that this is my favorite of her two Top 40 songs. "Right Back Where We Started From" isn't bad, but is way overplayed. 28: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS FALLING IN LOVE - LOBO (31) - He was more famous for his early 70s hits, but he did have a short-lived comeback with this song, which was a good one. 27: GOOD GIRLS DON'T - THE KNACK (29) - Well, they never quite equalled the success of "My Sharona" (then again, given how massive that song was, that would be very tough). Anyway, that song is coming up later. This song was definitely my favorite of the two. 26: DEPENDIN' ON YOU - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (28) - Definitely a case of Third Single Syndrome. After two Top 20 hits, this song petered out at #25. The song was pretty good, but nowhere near as good as "What A Fool Believes". AT40 EXTRA: OH PRETTY WOMAN - ROY ORBISON - One of those "whatever happened to" stories. Casey pretty much told what was going on in his life since his last chart appearance. This was his biggest hit - and a great one it is! 25: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS (30) - Meh, this one was so/so, but it doesn't hold a candle to "She Believes In Me". 24: DIRTY WHITE BOY - FOREIGNER (27) - The first single from Head Games. This wasn't bad, but I preferred the title track, which would chart about a month and a half later. 23: GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME - GERRY RAFFERTY (26) - Well, this was indeed better than the overplayed "Baker Street", but not quite as good as "Right Down The Line". 22: WHAT'CHA GONNA DO WITH MY LOVIN - STEPHANIE MILLS (22) - This one sounded a little like something that George Benson should have done (his trademark scat singing would definitely fit). AT40 ARCHIVES: GET DOWN TONIGHT - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND - I still find it hard to believe that this song zipped up and down the chart so fast. It was a good one - I like it and "That's The Way (I Like It)" about the same. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STILL - THE COMMODORES - This song would probably get a better review from me if not for the depressing subject matter (Larry even said that the song was about a couple going through a divorce). 21: LOVIN', TOUCHIN', SQUEEZIN' - JOURNEY (23) - Remember, they say "na" exactly 154 times in the song. Yes, there was a time that I was so bored that I actually counted them. 22 na's in each group, and there are seven groups of na's, so do the math from there. Anyway, the song is a good one - one of my favorites from them. 20: SPOOKY - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (24) - Appropriate song, given that boo-time was coming up in a few weeks. Anyway, this was a good song, and, during the instrumental bridge, as well as the last verse, it sounded a lot like the original (since it was in the same key). Not sure if I prefer this one or the original by the Classics IV. 19: THE BOSS - DIANA ROSS (21) - Something about this song reminds me of Donna Summer's Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Heaven Knows". I liked both songs. 18: DIFFERENT WORLDS - MAUREEN McGOVERN (18) - You could definitely tell that this was a TV show theme - from the somewhat short-lived TV show Angie. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from her. 17: THE DEVIL WENT TO GEORGIA - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (9) - Definitely their signature hit. It's a good one, but my favorite song from them is "Still In Saigon". 16: BORN TO BE ALIVE - PATRICK HERNANDEZ (16) - Disco was definitely declining noticeably and this one might have made the Top Ten otherwise, but it still gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay. The song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. 15: DRIVER'S SEAT - SNIFF & THE TEARS (15) - Hmm, I wonder how they came up with a band name like that? As for the song, see my last sentence in my comment for #16. 14: BAD CASE OF LOVIN' YOU - ROBERT PALMER (14) - Given how much this song is played on oldies stations today, it's a surprise that this song never hit the Top Ten (though it did peak at #7 on R&R). The song's not bad, but I've never been a huge fan of Robert Palmer (though I did like his two Top 40 remakes). 13: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU - BONNIE POINTER (13) - It looked like this song had peaked, but it would move up two more places next week, just missing the Top Ten. It wasn't bad, but I generally preferred her sisters' group (which she herself had been a member of, but left the group the year before). LDD: WISHING YOU WERE HERE - CHICAGO - Ugh, this song gives me the creeps - especially those weird synth noises in the instrumental refrains. There's just something I find disturbing about those. The song, however, was appropriate for the dedication, especially since it features sound effects of waves at the beach (in the LDD, they said that sometimes their brother, who was in the US Coast Guard, became so lonely that he'd go to the beach and talks to the goonie birds). 12: CRUEL TO BE KIND - NICK LOWE (12) - Wow, lots of songs in holding pattern in this hour. Also, there are many one-hit wonders as well. This song fits both categories. I like this song - I remember hearing it a lot back in the day. AT40 ARCHIVE: RHINESTONE COWBOY - GLEN CAMPBELL - I remember this one from back in the day as well, and it is one of the earliest such song (since I was only three at the time). One of my favorite songs from Glen Campbell. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BABE - STYX - This was their first and only #1 song (On Billboard, anyway - "The Best Of Times" managed to top the R&R chart). It was a great song - not sure which of those two songs I prefer. 11: DON'T BRING ME DOWN - ELO (10) - This was their biggest hit (peak-wise, that is; "Telephone Line" might have had a few more points since it had three more weeks in the Top 40 despite peaking as many spots lower). It was OK, but quite overplayed. I preferred their other 1979 Top Ten, which is sadly ignored by radio anymore. 10: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS - DONNA SUMMER (19) - One of those somewhat rare cases where the biggest jump of the week was in the Top Ten. Anyway, I preferred her other big 1979 hits over this one, but I still liked it better than her duet with Barbra Streisand, which would hit the chart a few weeks later. 9: AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (5) - Interesting how the band attributed their success to astrology. But it apparently worked, as they had a very successful chart career and this was one of their biggest hits. This used to be one of my favorite songs, but now, I find it mediocre. 8: POP MUZIK - M (11) - Well, Casey didn't jinx this song by saying that it might hit #1 as it had in several countries, as it did indeed make it to the top here in the states. Anyway, I think that we all know that I'm not a big fan of this song. But many people here do like it and really, more power to you. It just doesn't do anything for me. 7: I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN - DIONNE WARWICK (7) - Casey talked about Dionne's musical family and mentioned that Dionne was the most successful. Little did anyone know that her first cousin would come along six years later to give her a run for her money. As for the song, it's a great one - one of my favorites from her. 6: LONESOME LOSER - LITTLE RIVER BAND (6) - Here's one I remember hearing a lot during the fall of 1979. It was pretty good, but I preferred LRB's two other 1979 hits by a fairly wide margin. 5: SAIL ON - THE COMMODORES (8) - This one had sort of a country feel to it. It apparently worked, as it hit the Top Five (and spent three weeks at #1 on R&R). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by the Commodores. 4: MY SHARONA - THE KNACK (1) - Well, the good news is that the song dropped out of the top spot, but it would still go on to be the top song of the year. I actually used to like this song - but it was just played ad nauseum during its chart run, especially on WLS, where it was the top song of the entire decade. They butchered this song pretty good - in addition to playing the abbreviated version of the instrumental bridge, they cut out the second verse. 3: RISE - HERB ALPERT (3) - After finding out that "My Sharona" had dropped out of #1, people were probably thinking that this song had the best chance of being the song that was strong enough to dethrone the overplayed song, but in fact, it actually lost its bullet at this point (but would still go on to hit #1 two weeks later). OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEARTACHE TONIGHT - THE EAGLES - This was their fifth and final #1 hit. I wasn't a huge fan of it, though - definitely my least favorite of their chart toppers. 2: DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH - MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - His first of four Top Ten hits from Off The Wall. Not a big fan of this one at all. 1: SAD EYES - ROBERT JOHN (2) - Well, this song tied "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder for the longest climb to #1. Both songs hit the top in their 21st week. The record would stand for about two and a half years. Anyway, this is definitely my favorite of the two songs.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 30, 2021 15:56:30 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - October 2, 2021
This week's presentation - October 4, 1986
This is a building commentary for the time being, as I slept through much of it Friday afternoon.
Droppers: PAPA DON'T PREACH - MADONNA (35) - Here is a song that I hated with a passion when it was on the charts. It's not bad now that I don't hear it every single time I turn on the radio, but still, I prefer many other songs by Madonna, who, by the way, actually replaces herself on the countdown this week. RUMORS - TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (33) - Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often. PRESS - PAUL McCARTNEY (32) - This song's sales outweighed its airplay by quite a lot, as the song hit the teens on the former chart, but didn't even touch the Top 30 on the latter. As a result, the song peaked at #21 on the Hot 100, where it had spent the last two weeks. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings.
40: TRUE BLUE - MADONNA (debut) - This song debuted on the entire Hot 100 up here at #40 and, given the artist that sings it, it comes as no surprise. The title track from an album that spawned four Top Five hits (not counting "Live To Tell", which had pretty much run its course on the chart by the time True Blue was released). This was my favorite song from the album. 39: WORD UP - CAMEO (debut) - Western whistling in a dance hit? Well, apparently it worked, as it was a big hit. I wasn't a big fan of it, however. 38: AMANDA - BOSTON (debut) - Definitely one of the biggest comebacks of the 80s - they had their first #1 hit, a Top Ten, and a Top 20 hit from Third Stage. Their music style was still the same, but didn't sound too out of place for the 80s at all. 37: I’LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO (40) - This song just barely missed hitting the Top Ten, peaking at #11. Too bad, as it's one of Toto's all-time best hits, IMO (at least it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #8). 36: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (28) - Well, I never saw the movie, but I definitely remember the song. It was a great one, like most of McDonald's solo hits. 35: IN YOUR EYES – PETER GABRIEL (39) - Meh, not generally a big fan of him, especially the "So" album, since the first two singles from it are way overplayed. Given that, I'm surprised that this song came nowhere near the Top Ten. 34: PARANIOMIA – THE ART OF NOISE WITH MAX HEADROOM (37) - One of the oddest songs to make the Top 40 - surprised it wasn't classified as a novelty song. I liked it, but probably would have gotten tired of it had it been a bigger hit. 33: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT – EDDIE MONEY (38) - I like many of the Money Man's songs, but this definitely isn't one of them. Possibly my least favorite song from him. 32: GIRL CAN’T HELP IT - JOURNEY (34) - At the time, this was my favorite release from “Raised On Radio” (and beyond, as it was still my favorite after the last song was released in the spring of 1987). Since then, my tastes have changed and “I’ll Be Alright Without You” is my favorite. I still like this one, though - I especially like the end, when it becomes a completely different song. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t entitle it “Girl Can’t Help It/Fire In His Eyes”. 31: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (20) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, according to Casey, this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing. 30: POINT OF NO RETURN – NU SHOOZ (30) - This song definitely didn't measure up to the success of their first hit "I Can't Wait", which is a shame, because I preferred this song by a wide margin. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE NEXT TIME I FALL - PETER CETERA & AMY GRANT - This song would become the second #1 song in a row for Cetera, so he definitely had a head start on his former band Chicago, who hadn't even yet hit the Top 40 since his departure from the band (they had peaked at #48 with their revamped version of "25 Or 6 To 4" a few weeks prior). I liked this song, but preferred his first #1 hit, as well as many others from Amy Grant, who would become a regular on the Top 40 charts five years later. 29: HUMAN – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (36) - Their second of two #1 hits. Of course, my favorite was their first one, "Don't You Want Me", from four years before. 28: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) – SIMPLY RED (30) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically. 27: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (21) - Meh, the only good thing about this song is the fact that it was on its way down the chart. I'm still burned out on the song, mainly due to overplay (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place). 26: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (23) - The Fab Four had the song's inclusion in two successful movies to thank for its return to the chart. Though it peaked much lower than in its original run, it spent four weeks longer on the Hot 100 than in that first run (as the charts in 1964 moved like lightning). I liked it, but the Beatles had many other songs that I preferred. 25: VENUS – BANANARAMA (17) - I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour". 24: BABY LOVE – REGINA (15) - The only hit from whom many people consider a "Madonna clone", since their voices sound alike. Despite the fact that I'm not generally a big fan of dance music, I really liked this song. 23: EARTH ANGEL (FROM “THE KARATE KID PART II”) – NEW EDITION (29) - Hey, it's the Kakariko Village song! But seriously, this was the second hit from the Karate Kid 2 soundtrack to hit the Top 40 - though the song didn't quite measure up to the success of the first one, Peter Cetera's "Glory Of Love", it did get as high as #21 (I am, however, surprised it didn't make an appearance on the R&R chart). Regardless, it was a good song, and one of my favorite New Edition hits. LDD: DO IT OR DIE – THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - Wow, quite a heavy LDD there. A perfect example of a “d**ned if you do, d**ned if you don’t” situation. Glad that everything worked out for the best for this family! This song, along with being good melodically, had a great message and fit this LDD like a glove. 22: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (25) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. One of many songs in this week's countdown that takes me back to my freshman year in high school! Too bad it only got as high as #22. 21: SWEET LOVE – ANITA BAKER (27) - This was the first of four Top 40 hits from her, though she did have a few more on the Jazz and Adult Contemporary charts. This song was pretty good, though I preferred other songs from her, such as "Just Because" and a few of said Jazz/AC hits. 20: A MATTER OF TRUST – BILLY JOEL (24) - This song had been out for quite awhile, so I was thinking it wouldn't get too far. But the Columbia record label apparently heavily promoted this song, as it managed to hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but I preferred Joel's next release, "This Is The Time". OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE WAY IT IS - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE - They had a handful of chart hits and this was their biggest. It's a great song - still sounds just as fresh today as it did back in 1986! 19: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON – ROBERT PALMER (26) - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Top Ten singles from Riptide were played out (and "Addicted To Love" still is). The only song from the album I liked was "Hyperactive", since that song was not overplayed - in fact, I don't believe I ever heard it outside of countdown shows even during its chart run. 18: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (LOVE THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (9) - This was the second of two singles from Top Gun on this week's chart. It was a good song, but my favorite song from the Top Gun soundtrack was the album cut "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick. Too bad that was never released as a single. 17: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (11) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but one of my least favorite of their ballads. 16: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (19) - One of several chart hits from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. Also, interesting story about keyboardist Doug Johnson refusing to participate in the recording of this song on principle (as he felt that the movie Top Gun promoted the military). He does still participate when they perform the song in concert, since he realizes that fans like the song on its own merits. Anyway, I forget exactly where in the movie this song was (since I only saw it once), but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night". keyboardist Doug Johnson promotes military 15: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (16) -Their last of nine Top 40 hits before Annie Lennox embarked on a solo career (as well as Dave Stewart, though he only had one Top 40 hit). I wasn't a big fan of this song, however - definitely one of my least favorites from them. 14: TRUE COLORS – CYNDI LAUPER (22) - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors. 13: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (18) - Here's another song that takes me back to my freshman year! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts. 12: HEARTBEAT – DON JOHNSON (14) - The first chart hit for Sonny Crockett (and actually, his only solo hit, as his other Top 40 hit would be his duet with Babs "Till I Loved You", in late 1988). This was a great song - another song that I remember hearing all the time near the beginning of my freshman year in High School! 11: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (10) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. This was a good song as well. LDD: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU – STEVIE WONDER - This LDD had a somewhat similar theme as the other LDD (in that situations cause the family to be split up for quite awhile). The song did fit the LDD. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN - THE BANGLES - I think we all know how much I detest this song, right? 10: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (3) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over, or if the law of gravity happened to change. As for the song, it's pretty good, but definitely not his best song. 9: TYPICAL MALE – TINA TURNER (13) - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 8: WALK THIS WAY – RUN-D.M.C. (4) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, although back when this was on the charts, I was not a fan of it at all. In retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith. 7: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (12) - Here's another song that went to #1 on the R&R chart (the following week), but didn't quite make it on the Hot 100. It did peak at #4, though, which isn't bad either. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch. 6: TWO OF HEARTS – STACEY Q (8) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah part is somewhat embarrassing and definitely annoying. 5: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (6) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one. 4: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (6) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second). 3: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (7) - As the old saying goes, third time's a charm, as this was Janet's third release from Control, and it went all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT - WANG CHUNG - If you have your mind in the gutter, you just might come up with a few misheard lyrics for this song. This one was overplayed, but it's one of those "fine wine" type songs - gets better with age. 2: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON & GLORIA LORING (2) - I loved the country cover version of this by Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton that was climbing the country chart about this time in 1986 (and was apparently instrumental in the release of this song, recorded for the soap opera Days Of Our Lives the year before), but I was definitely getting tired of this version, as the radio stations I was listening to were playing this song to death. Now that we rarely hear it anymore, it's good to hear every now and again. 1: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (1) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and had collected their second two weeks before. This song, with three weeks on top, was one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm especially glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year.
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Post by mga707 on Sept 30, 2021 17:53:54 GMT -5
34: HOLD ON - IAN GOMM (debut) - 33: I KNOW A HEARTACHE WHEN I SEE ONE - JENNIFER WARNES (36) - AT40 ARCHIVES: FALLIN' IN LOVE - HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS No opinions on these three?
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