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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 11, 2022 8:58:09 GMT -5
The group New England,per Joel Whitburn,was based in NYC.
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Post by mga707 on Jun 11, 2022 13:59:59 GMT -5
"Good Timin" isn't a remake of the Jimmy Jones hit from 1960-It's an outstanding song which features those trademark Beach Boys harmonies-It should be available on You Tube for your listening pleasure. Yes. It should have charted higher. From the "L. A. (Light Album)" LP, it was written by Brian and Carl Wilson. Second single from that album, closely following their 'disco' remake of their own 1967 song "Here Comes the Night", which had peaked at #44 in April. The album was also the group's first on CBS-distributed Caribou Records, following stints on Capitol and Warner Brothers/Reprise (Brother Records).
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Post by Hervard on Jun 17, 2022 13:13:47 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - June 18, 2022
This week's presentation - June 14, 1975
40: MIDNIGHT BLUE – MELISSA MANCHESTER (debut) - This song reminded me a little of "These Are The Best Times" by Bobby Goldsboro, the theme for the 1973 Disney movie Superdad. This was Manchester's debut hit, and a great one it was! I liked most of her Top 40 hits, especially her ballads, like this one. 39: ONE OF THESE NIGHTS – THE EAGLES (debut) - This is the song that spent the most weeks in the Top Ten during 1975 - ten weeks in all. Oddly enough, only one of those weeks were spent at #1. Anyway, of their two #1 during 1975, this was my favorite 38: I’M NOT IN LOVE – 10CC (debut) - I actually felt sorry for this song, as it spent three weeks in the runner-up position, as two other songs leapfrogged over it into the #1 spot. Anyway, this was a great song, but I actually preferred Will To Power's dance remake of it from early 1991. 37: LIZZIE AND THE RAINMAN –TANYA TUCKER (39) - Even though she’s had many country hits, I’ve only heard a few of them. But that's because she didn't have that many crossover hits - this was her only song that hit the Top 40. It was a pretty good song. 36: WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS - WAR (debut) - The song with possibly the shortest verses ever! It would have been a better song and not as repetitive had they linked two or three verses together. 35: T-R-O-U-B-L-E – ELVIS PRESLEY (40) - Presley was great in the 50s and 60s, but around the mid-70s, his quality began to drop. But I will say this - This song, as mediocre as it was, was much better than the depressing "My Boy" from earlier in 1975. 34: SWEARIN’ TO GOD – FRANKIE VALLI (debut) - Valli was still doing double duty in 1975, performing solo as well as with the Four Seasons (as the latter would chart later on in the summer). This was a good song - one of his best solo hits. 33: JUDY MAE – BOOMER CASTLEMAN (34) - This song raised a few eyebrows, due to its subject matter. I won't describe it here - you'll have to google the lyrics... Anyway, melodically, it was a pretty decent song. 32: DYNOMITE - BAZUKA (37) - Was that Jimmie Walker shouting the title throughout the song? 31: HEY YOU – BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE (38) - This one was pretty much "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet Part 2". Like that song, it was a great one IMO. 30: BABY THAT’S BACKATCHA – SMOKEY ROBINSON (33) - Considering that I'm not a big fan of his 70s solo hits, this was actually a good song - in fact, possibly my favorite of his 70s hits. 29: THE HUSTLE – VAN McCOY & THE SOUL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (32) - This was the only Top 40 entry for this man born in our nation's capital. Glad this song made it to #1, as it's one of my favorite disco instrumentals of all time! 28: MISTY – RAY STEVENS (31) - Known mainly for his novelty songs, he had a few (somewhat) serious songs as well, like this one. It was a good 'un. OPTIONAL EXTRA: RHINESTONE COWBOY - GLEN CAMPBELL - This song was on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of the entire year, and worthily so, as it was one of Campbell's best. 27: THE WAY WE WERE – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (29) - Interesting interpretation of the Barbra Streisand classic from the year before, though I preferred the original. 26: SHAKEY GROUND – THE TEMPTATIONS (26) - They were definitely on their way out at this point, as this was their last Top 30 hit, but what a career they'd had! A total of 37 Top 40 hits. This one wasn't bad, but was your typical roof-raising R&B, and y'all know how I feel about that kind of music. 25: REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU TO FORGET - TAVARES (25) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this song was actually pretty good, as was the flipside, "My Ship", which they played two weeks before. 24: ATTITUDE DANCING – CARLY SIMON (27) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this song was actually pretty good, as was the flipside, "My Ship", which they played on the previous week's show. 23: I WANNA DANCE WIT’ CHOO (DO DAT DANCE) – DISCO TEX & THE SEX-O-LETTES (24) - I think you know what I feel about this song, seeing that it’s 70s roof-raising R&B music. 22: LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID – PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (35) - This was when their songs started improving vastly. Their 1974 songs were mediocre at best (though Junior's Farm was pretty good). From 1975 on, I liked all of their Top Ten hits (well, except for "Silly Love Songs", but that was due to overplay - I did like that song when it was on the charts). This song was one of their best IMO. 21: I’LL PLAY FOR YOU (HEAR THE BAND) – SEALS & CROFTS (23) - I'm not a huge Seals & Crofts fan, but this is an exception - possibly my favorite from them. I like how the way applause was dubbed in to make it sound like it was played live, just like what was done in Elton John's Bennie And The Jets. 20: THE LAST FAREWELL – ROGER WHITTAKER (21) - Those of you who grew up in the Chicagoland area in the 1970s might have deja vu with the beginning of this song, as Channel 9 WGN used this song for their station ID during the late 1970s, though I can't recall exactly when - I'm thinking circa 1977. As for the song itself, it was a good one - had sort of an Elvis-like sound to it. 19: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS – FREDDY FENDER (7) - Meh, not one of the best hits of the year at all. It's hard to believe that this song made it to #1, as dated as it sounds, even for 1975. 18: HOW LONG - ACE (3) - The first of three bands to hit the Top 40 with Paul Carrack on lead vocals (well, technically, it would be the second, as he had left Squeeze by the time they had their first Top 40 hit). Anyway, this was Ace's only big hit, but what a great one it was - one of my favorite songs involving Mr. Carrack! 17: MAGIC - PILOT (20) - Here's a true one-hit wonder. I liked this song - they sort of reminded me of ELO. 16: SHINING STAR – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (13) - This song had recently become their very first and only #1 hit. A great song indeed, though I preferred "That's The Way Of The World", from the same year, meaning that 1975 was definitely one of their best years, IMO. 15: BAD LUCK (PART 1) – HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUENOTES (18) - Meh, not a fan of this one. My favorite from them would probably be "The Love I Lost". 14: TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (ROCK ME) – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (19) - This was the next-to-last of their big hits that featured Tom Johnston on lead vocals before Michael McDonald took over the following year. It's a good one, but I preferred "Black Water". OPTIONAL EXTRA: Casey and Larry Morgan talk about SSgt. Barry Sadler, of "Ballad Of The Green Berets" fame. 13: ONLY WOMEN – ALICE COOPER (15) - Surprised that this song missed the Top Ten, seeing that it hit the Top Five on R&R. Anyway, as we all know, I prefer his ballads over his hard rockers, and this was my favorite of the four slow songs that I've heard from him. 12: WILDFIRE – MICHAEL MURPHY (17) - He was mainly a country artist, but he had several Top 40 crossover hits, including this one. This was a great song, right up there with "Carolina In The Pines" and "What's Forever For". 11: CUT THE CAKE – THE AVERAGE WHITE BAND (11) - This band either hit the Top Ten or missed the Top 30 entirely with their five hits (though it was looking like this would be a Top Ten miss, but it managed to push up a spot the following week), It's pretty much "Pick Up The Pieces" with lyrics. 10: GET DOWN, GET DOWN (GET ON THE FLOOR) – JOE SIMON (14) - This was his eighth and final Top 40 hit, but it turned out to be his biggest (and his very first Top Ten). I thought it was OK, but nothing exceptional. 9: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM – ELTON JOHN BAND (10) - Interesting that this song, which had hit #1 back in April, was moving back up the chart (but it's said that word had leaked that the song wouldn't be on Elton's new album Captain Fantastic (which, incidentally, debuted at #1 on the album chart this week, setting a new, unbeatable record). This apparently caused people who didn't already have the 45 to buy it at the record store). Anyway, this song was OK, but not one of my favorites from him. I preferred the first single from said album. 8: THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY – JOHN DENVER (1) - Denver was all over the charts in 1975! This was one of two #1 songs he had that year. It was a great one; very lively and fun! 7: LOVE WON’T LET ME WAIT – MAJOR HARRIS (9) - A former member of the Delfonics, he was a one-hit wonder as a solo artist. This was a good song - your typical mid-70s slow jam. 6: I’M NOT LISA – JESSIE COLTER (8) - CHEEEEESE-fest... 5: OLD DAYS - CHICAGO (7) - Not sure what happened with this song - it made a spectacular debut in the Top 40, at #17, and climbed to #5, where it peaked. The following week, it would drop to #17 then off, spending only seven weeks on the chart. Too bad, as it was a great song, IMO. 4: BAD TIME – GRAND FUNK (4) - Their second of two Top Five hits they scored with in 1975. This would be my favorite from them by a fair margin. Too bad this would end up being their final Top 40 hit. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JIVE TALKIN' - THE BEE GEES - Ah, their very first disco song, a style which they quickly became more famous for than ballads. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their other disco songs. 3: WHEN WILL I BE LOVED – LINDA RONSTADT (6) - It looked like she might have two #1 songs in a row, but alas, this song just barely missed. This was a great one, and was in a horse race with "Heat Wave" as my favorite of her 1975 hits. 2: LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (12) - Wow, with the all the huge chart jumps, it's no wonder that this song spent four weeks on top - in a year that featured more one-week number one songs than any other year, although this was definitely not their best hit, IMO. Its saving grace is that it's not as bad as their hit from the fall of the following year, "Muskrat Fungus Love". 1: SISTER GOLDEN HAIR - AMERICA (2) - This song had spent the past two weeks at #1 on the R&R chart this week and, this week, became their second #1 song on the Hot 100. This was my favorite of the two (though "A Horse With No Name" was also a great one).
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Post by Hervard on Jun 17, 2022 13:13:58 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 18, 2022
This week's presentation - June 18, 1977
SLOW DOWN - JOHN MILES (34) - 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. SOUTHERN NIGHTS - GLEN CAMPBELL (32) - 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. HELLO STRANGER - YVONNE ELLIMAN (29) - 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.
40: ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG - THE CARPENTERS (debut) - This duo was clearly beginning to fizzle out at this point, but what a career they'd had up to this point, with a ton of Top 40 hits! This was a really good one, IMO. 39: IT'S SAD TO BELONG - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (debut) - A song about a guy who is bored with his marriage and meets someone that he feels is his soul mate. The lyric that doesn't make sense to me is how, if he had a time machine, he'd go back to the day he was born. How about just going back as far as the day you met the girl who you'd end up marrying? Anyway, I actually liked this song and felt this should have gotten higher than #21. 38: PEACE OF MIND - BOSTON (debut) - Here is a song that was even more underrated. Possibly my favorite song by Boston, this was all the higher that the song got! It sure did much better on my Personal Top 30 chart, spending six weeks at #1 and coming in at #2 for the entire year (behind "Dancing Queen" by Abba. 37: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (40) - Cooper was more famous for his loud, hard-rocking songs, but he had a few slow ones as well, which I preferred. My favorite song from him is "Only Women", but this one, as well as his hit from earlier in the year, "I Never Cry" aren't too far behind - all of them are great songs! 36: LUCKENBACH, TEXAS (BACK TO THE BASICS OF LOVE) - WAYLON JENNINGS & WILLIE NELSON (38) - This was Jennings' second of three Top 40 hits. It wasn't bad - sounded a little like an Elvis song. Not quite as good as his "Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard", however. 35: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (39) - This was their very first hit, and it became their biggest ever, peaking at #6 and lasting a half a year on the Hot 100! Very deservedly so, as it was a great song - one of their best IMO. 34: YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (36) - This song reminds me a little of Joni James' 1955 hit "How Important Can It Be". The song is quite cheesy, like most of Reddy's songs, but still pretty good. 33: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (37) - This was most definitely my favorite version of this song (most versions use the same gospel flavored arrangement of the song - this one was actually a MOR/disco type song). It apparently worked, as this was the most successful version of the song (chartwise, that is) 32: HOLLYWOOD - RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (33) - This was their seventh Top 40 hit - your typical 70s R&B slow jam. It was not bad, but I preferred a few others from the band, as well as Chaka Khan as a solo artist. 31: KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU - ABBA (35) - 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! 30: HOTEL CALIFORNIA - THE EAGLES (17) - The title track from one of their biggest albums ever and, as stated earlier, one of my favorites from them. A true classic which has aged quite well! 29: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM "ROCKY") - MAYNARD FERGUSON (30) - The first of two versions of this song on the chart. I preferred Bill Conti's version, but this one was pretty good as well. 28: BACK TOGETHER AGAIN - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (28) - The follow-up to their first #1 song. The song, however, didn't do anywhere near as well as "Rich Girl" and as for me, I prefer the latter, though this one wasn't bad either - reminded me a little of Earth, Wind & Fire. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - BAY CITY ROLLERS - I was so obsessed with this song in the early 1990s. I called a lunchtime oldies program and requested this song, but they didn’t have it. I requested it so many times that they decided to finally order it. In May, 1992, I finally heard it for the first time since 1977. It was a good one - not sure if I prefer this or their cover of "I Only Want To Be With You", from the previous fall. 27: ARIEL - DEAN FRIEDMAN (27) - This may have been his only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got a lot of mileage, especially for a song that peaked at #26 - ten (non-consecutive) weeks in the Top 40 and 22 on the Hot 100! I love this song - heard it many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. 26: WHEN I NEED YOU - LEO SAYER (16) - One of three Top 20 hits that Leo charted with during the year. It was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred his other two songs, which bookended this one. 25: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (31) - This song hit #1 on the R&R chart in late July, and looked like it could do the same on Billboard, but didn't quite make it. It still became his biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, since it's my favorite song of his. 24: COULDN'T GET IT RIGHT - THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (10) - Like several acts on this week's chart, this band had two Top 40 hits. Both were big hits that lasted quite awhile on the charts. This was a good song, but I preferred "I Love You", which charted four years later and we'll be hearing on next week's 1981 show. 23: HIGH SCHOOL DANCE - THE SYLVERS (25) - Their first two hits made the Top Five, but this one petered out at #17. Can't really call this "Third-Single Syndrome", as the three songs weren't from the same album. This song wasn't bad, but my favorite from them was "Boogie Fever". 22: LOVE'S GROWN DEEP - KENNY NOLAN (24) - A two-hit wonder, like the Climax Blues Band, although I imagine that most people don't remember this one, as it has fallen into obscurity. Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind. 21: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (26) - The only of the Gibb brothers that was not in the Bee Gees, but his solo career was definitely a success! His first three singles all hit #1. This was by far my favorite song from him (and it eventually went on to become AT40's top song of 1977). 20: SLOW DANCIN' DON'T TURN ME ON - THE ADDRISI BROTHERS (21) - Yet another "two-hit wonder". Their first hit charted in 1972 and five years later, they came back with this song, which peaked this week at #20. This one was OK, but nothing special. 19: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (23) - The first of at least two songs on the countdown during 1977 that McCann wrote. As stated earlier, I prefer the other song; this one was way too schmaltzy IMO. 18: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (22) - Her second of two Top Five hits during the year 1977. Both are great songs, but I slightly prefer this one. 17: MARGARITAVILLE - JIMMY BUFFETT (19) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins". They usually butchered this one, cutting out the instrumental bridge, as well as the ending (when he repeats the last two lines of the chorus) and this week was no exception. Did they ever play this song intact during its chart run? 16: DA DOO RON RON - SHAUN CASSIDY (20) - The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it would hit #1 about a month later. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one. 15: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW (18) - 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. 14: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG - THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (14) - Yet 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). OPTIONAL EXTRA: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - They had four songs that charted in 1977, and this was my favorite of those songs. It turned out to be their biggest as well! 13: LIFE IN THE FAST LANE - THE EAGLES (15) - This song just barely missed the Top Ten, ending the streak that they had going (though the streak would have been broken anyway in early 1979, as "Please Come Home For Christmas" wasn't on the chart long enough to hit the Top Ten, as it was a seasonal hit). As for this song, I liked it, but preferred their two other "Hotel California" hits. 12: AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN) - JOE TEX (12) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. 11: JET AIRLINER - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (13) - The second of four Top 40 hits for the band during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits. 10: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (11) - They may have been a one-hit wonder, but they got a lot of mileage out of this song, which spent 19 weeks on the chart. I used to like this one, but not so much anymore, as it's about infidelity - plus the music is kind of boring. 9: SIR DUKE - STEVIE WONDER (9) - Despite a hard fall from #1 the previous week, this song managed to hold in place this week. In this song, 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. 8: I'M YOUR BOOGIE MAN - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (1) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later, ending their streak of hitting #1 everytime they hit the Top Ten. 7: LONELY BOY - ANDREW GOLD (7) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other one, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, but the other song is a close second. Both are great songs, IMO. 6: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (8) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write several other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO. 5: LUCILLE - KENNY ROGERS (6) - 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. 4: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (5) - The first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T WORRY BABY - BJ THOMAS - Of course, this was played in tribute to Mr. Thomas' recent passing. This song, Thomas' final Top 40 entry, would peak at #17 - seven spots higher than the original by the Beach Boys. I liked this one - there's a similarity between this and the theme from the TV show Growing Pains, which Thomas sang with Jennifer Warnes. 3: GONNA FLY NOW - BILL CONTI (4) - This song was in the midst of taking it step-by-step all the way to the top. As mentioned earlier, this was my favorite of the two versions of this song on this week's chart. 2: GOT TO GIVE IT UP (PART #1) - MARVIN GAYE (3) - I'm generally not a huge fan of Marvin Gaye, but for some reason, I like this one. Kind of a surprise, as this one has been compared to "Blurred Lines", a song that I still hate with a passion. 1: DREAMS - FLEETWOOD MAC (2) - Interesting that this song hit #1 on their tenth anniversary as a band. This was the biggest single from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay, as well as its repetitive melody, with only two chords used intermittently. It's still a pretty good one, though.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 17, 2022 13:14:18 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 18, 2022
This week's presentation - June 25, 1988
Droppers: I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - FOREIGNER (39) - This was a nice song, but not one of my favorites from them. Apparently, Mick Jones felt the same way, which explains how undersung it was. WAIT - WHITE LION (38) - Their first of two Top 40 hits (both Top Tens). I much preferred this one - "When The Children Cry" is just so maudlin - borders on being a "No. Just no". TWO OCCASIONS - THE DEELE (37) - This song used to be the closing song for Open House Party (is that show even still in production?) It was a pleasant song, but I preferred a few of Babyface's solo hits.
PROMOS 40: 1-2-3 – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (debut) - Could she have been counting the Top Ten songs they'd scored with their Let It Loose album? Well, this would make it number four, as it sailed straight into the Top Ten as well. 39: JUST GOT PAID – JOHNNY KEMP (debut) - One of two Top 40 hits from this R&B singer from the Bahamas. It was OK - your typical late-80s dance music. 38: THE COLOUR OF LOVE – BILLY OCEAN (debut) - Wow, all the debuts are down at the bottom of the chart. And the best of the bunch, IMO, is the highest one. I liked most of Ocean's slow songs and this is definitely one of my favorites from him! 37: BLACK AND BLUE – VAN HALEN (34) - This was off to a promising start, debuting at #34 the previous week, but oddly enough, it dropped back to #37 this week. I guess it wasn't promoted to Top 40 radio very well, if at all. It did, however, hit #1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. As for the song, it was pretty good, sort of reminiscent of their songs with David Lee Roth on lead vocals. 36: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (23) -This was their only #1 song (as a group, anyway, as Gloria went on two have two #1 songs on her own). It was a good song - they played the English version of the song this week, instead of the "Spanglish" version, which it seems that they generally play (or is it just me)? 35: HEART OF MINE – BOZ SCAGGS (35) - I liked all of his Top 40 hits, but this one is in a horse race with "Lido Shuffle" for my favorite song from Scaggs! In any case, it's my favorite of his ballads. 34: SIGN YOUR NAME – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (40) - This and "Wishing Well" are pretty much the only two songs by him that I like. I preferred this one - had a somewhat haunting sound to it. 33: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (22) - There were two Brendas on the chart this week and, coincidentally, both had two Top 40 hits. Not sure if I preferred this one or "So Good, So Right" - both are great songs! 32: PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND – D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE (36) - Like Fresh Prince in the first story, about school shopping, I was sixteen back when this song was popular, so I could definitely relate (although my Mom never bought me school clothes from two generations prior)! I liked this song - this was back when rap was still tolerable. 31: SUPERSONIC – J.J. FAD (30) -A female rap trio from LA, with their only Top 40 hit. Another decent rap song, IMO - my favorite part was where two of them were rapping and the other was beatboxing at the beginning. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I DON'T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - CHICAGO - The first of five singles from Chicago 19 (although I believe that "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" was released from their Greatest Hits album - but I could be wrong). Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred the other four (including "We Can Last Forever", which didn't quite hit the Top 40, but was a Top 20 AC hit). 30: PARADISE – SADE (31) - Sade was mainly a smooth jazz and AC artist, but they did have a handful of Top 40 hits - four, to be exact (well, before the PPW era, anyway) and all of them hit the Top 20. This one just barely squeaked in, peaking at #20 in July. It was a great song - my favorite of their hits! LDD: ENDLESS LOVE – DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE - This song became somewhat popular in the Long Distance Dedication department. It fit this dedication quite well. 29: ROLL WITH IT – STEVE WINWOOD (33) - It’s true I hated it when it first came out, but then I gradually started to like it more and more. This is a great one to crank up while driving (but not too loud, especially in cities with noise ordinances, lol!) 28: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL – ERIC CARMEN (32) - On several occasions, they cut out the second verse in this song (my favorite of the three), but this time, they decided to leave the song intact. Definitely my favorite of Carmen's two 1988 hits ("Hungry Eyes" was too overplayed, which I guess is understandable, since it was from a very popular movie soundtrack). 27: TALL COOL ONE – ROBERT PLANT (29) - Ah, the lead singer of the legendary Led Zeppelin. This was pretty good - the part at the end, with a montage of guitar riffs from many of their classic hits, was really cool! 26: UNDER THE MILKY WAY – THE CHURCH (24) - This was one of several Aussie bands on the chart this week. I liked this song, but I preferred the follow-up, "Inside The Three Musketeers" 25: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (29) - 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", as well as their Top 40 miss from the previous summer, "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me). 24: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (16) - Hmm, I wonder if they've forgiven George Michael yet for shutting them out of the #1 spot? Regardless, this was my favorite of their three songs from Turn Back The Clock? The title track, which was an AC-only hit late that year, would be a close second. 23: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (28) - When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later. 22: WE ALL SLEEP ALONE - CHER (15) - 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 this is all the further it got 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 prefer songs like "Just Like Jesse James" and "Believe". 21: RUSH HOUR – JANE WIEDLIN (27) - The second of the Go-Gos to hit the Top 40 with a solo hit. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite as successful as bandmate Belinda Carlisle, as this was her only Top 40 hit. It was a great song - too bad her follow-up "Inside A Dream" only got as high as #57, since I preferred that song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DO YOU LOVE ME - THE CONTOURS - The station I was listening to, WNYR, did not play this one, so I'm not sure if they played the original version or the re-recorded one - probably the former. I personally preferred the new version, but both were good. 20: LOST IN YOU – ROD STEWART (26) - Here's an artist who had been hitting the charts for two decadees, and his hit streak was far from over. This one didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it didn't miss by much, peaking at #12. It was a great one - possibly my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from the Out Of Order album. 19: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (25) - A rare example of the final release from an album (that spawned three or more hits) being the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender. 18: BEDS ARE BURNING – MIDNIGHT OIL (21) - Another Aussie band and, like The Church, they only had one Top 40 hit. I remember hearing this song all the time in early 2001 on Chicago's 94.7 The Zone - a then-80s station that had the skimpiest variety of music. One day (March 10, 2001, to be exact), when I was out for a leisurely drive, I must have heard the song at least three times. No wonder that format didn't last long on that station! As for the song, it's a good one, so at least it wasn't a crappy song that was overplayed. 17: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (6) - Here is yet another artist on this week's chart with their last Top Ten hit (though they just barely missed with the ironically titled "So Close" in late 1990). This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. 16: NEW SENSATION - INXS (20) - Last week, we had back-to-back artists from Sydney, Australia and it almost happened again this week, but Hall & Oates prevented it. I liked this song - much better than the overplayed "Need You Tonight". 15: NITE AND DAY – AL B. SURE! (17) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam - much better than his upbeat songs (like "Off On Your Own Girl"). I liked the synthesizer used in this song. 14: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (14) - 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! 13: CIRCLE IN THE SAND – BELINDA CARLISLE (7) - 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. 12: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (12) - This was the first of three heavy metal songs in a row. I'll bet this was a highlight for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, too, as well as the follow-up "Back To The Cave". 11: NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (13) - This song hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100, but just missed on the R&R chart. Poison didn't have their first Top Ten on that chart until "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which went all the way to the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs by Poison! OPTIONAL EXTRA: I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY - KYLIE MINOGUE - She would be more successful in the 21st century, but she had a few hits in the late 1980s as well. This was her first. Not sure if I prefer this or "It's No Secret", from early 1989. In any case, I prefer both of them over the frankly annoying "The Loco-Motion". 10: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME – DEF LEPPARD (18) - They'd had moderate success on the Top 40 chart with the Pyromania album, but it was the Hysteria album that REALLY put them on the map. This was their first Top Five hit and looked like it would hit #1, but Richard Marx leapfrogged over them with his hit that we heard back at #31. No matter; they would top the chart with their next single "Love Bites". Not sure if I preferred that one or this. Is it me, or did Casey erroneously refer to their album as Animal? 9: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (11) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). 8: ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (10) - This was Prince's last hit for about a year, before he came back with three songs from the Batman soundtrack in 1989. This song was OK, but far from being his best. Casey hinted that this could become another number one hit for him. He must not have seen that this song had, in fact, lost its bullet this week. Then, of course, it free-fell soon after. 7: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (2) - 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, and straight to #1 it went. This is definitely one of his best solo hits. I sure didn't like the hack job they did on the song this week, however. 6: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (8) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is. 5: THE FLAME – CHEAP TRICK (9) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices". 4: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (5) - - 1988 was definitely the year for the rare "last single with most success". We've already talked about Richard Marx, and the Jets are another example. This song peaked at #4 a few weeks later. This was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". OPTIONAL EXTRA: FAST CAR - TRACY CHAPMAN - This one reminds me a little of "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens. This one was Chapman's biggest hit for eight years, until "Give Me One Reason" came along. I preferred this one, as the latter was way overplayed. 3: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (1) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. Actually, I just heard this one on the oldies station today, which I thought was weird, considering that most stations play "Never Gonna Give You Up". Anyway, this one was more or less a watered-down version of that song.. 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). 2: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - This one would set a record, as the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album. 1: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (3) - This could have been yet another example of the "last single with most success" phenomenon, 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 was most definitely one of her best hits ever. Glad they didn't have that sloppy edit near the end that totally screwed up the continuity of the song. This week, the song was played intact!
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 17, 2022 16:15:45 GMT -5
Agree wholeheartedly that "it's Sad To Belong" should've been a bigger hit.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 18, 2022 16:55:16 GMT -5
If I'm not mistaken,Mariah Carey sang background vocals on Brenda K. Starr's hit "I Still Believe" which was one of the featured songs on this weekend's presentation from 6/25/88-Ten years later,Mariah's remake also made the top forty.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 24, 2022 12:54:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - June 25, 2022
This week's presentation - June 24, 1978
Droppers: EVERYBODY DANCE - CHIC (38) - I forget how this one goes, but I seem to recall that I didn't like it. THIS TIME I'M IN IT FOR LOVE - PLAYER (36) - Their second of their three Top 40 hits, and the second biggest as well, peaking at #10 several weeks back. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Baby Come Back". DISCO INFERNO - THE TRAMMPS (35) - Burn, baby burn! For a disco song, this was actually not bad. CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE - JIMMY BUFFETT (32) - One of Jimmy's fun songs that you just can't help but sing along with! I have this one on my YouTube playlist of favorite songs, so I definitely like it! THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY (27) - Great song! My favorite of their three charted duets. Too bad it dropped out. BABY HOLD ON - EDDIE MONEY (26) - Here's one of those songs that didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from him!
40: IF EVER I SEE YOU AGAIN - ROBERTA FLACK (debut) - This song reminded me a lot of "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, especially in the bridge. But there's a good reason for that, as Joe Brooks wrote both songs. I thought this was a great song - not sure if I prefer this or her recent Top Five duet with Donny Hathaway, which dropped out this week. 39: WARM RIDE - RARE EARTH (40) - Despite me not being a huge fan of disco, I actually liked this song. Possibly because it was written by the Bee Gees. 38: DANCE ACROSS THE FLOOR - JIMMY "BO" HORNE (debut) - This song, a one-week wonder on AT40, was written by members of another popular disco group (in this case, KC & The Sunshine Band), and it definitely shows. The song was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 37: STONE BLUE - FOGHAT (debut) - This was another AT40 one-week wonder - but only because the following week was an AT40 special, during which the song peaked at #36 in its last week on the chart. I vaguely remember hearing this back in the day - not a bad song. 36: IT'S THE SAME OLD SONG - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (debut) - Interesting rendition of the Four Tops classic. Of course, nothing tops the original. 35: RUNAWAY - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (debut) - Here's sort of a random fact; this is the first song on the countdown that lasted more than five weeks on the chart. I believe this was their final Top 40 hit featuring Marty Balin on lead vocals. I liked this song, but slightly preferred "Count On Me", which had charted earlier in the year. 34: THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY - LOVE & KISSES (debut) - Ah, the ever-popular weekend welcome! This was the title track of the movie "Thank God It's Friday", a disco musical that was sort of in a box office battle with Grease, which was released around the same time. 33: HEARTLESS - HEART (24) - The beginning of this song reminds me a little of "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" by the Hollies. The song was so/so, but not quite as good as their 80s and 90s songs. 32: DEACON BLUES - STEELY DAN (19) - aka "Peg Pt 2" Both are great songs - not sure which one I prefer. I associate this song more with April, 1982, when I went to Disneyworld with family and friends. My mom's then boyfriend, who did the driving, listened to the Aja tape in the car all the time, so I heard all the songs many times! 31: GREASE - FRANKIE VALLI (39) - The title track to one of the biggest movie soundtracks ever was on its way to the top. It's OK, but I prefer several other songs from him, both solo and with the Four Seasons. 30: ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG - BILLY JOEL (37) - Casey mentioned that "Grease" was the biggest mover of the week, so chart watchers knew that meant that this song was next up. This song might have been a Top Ten hit if not for its lyrical content. Many radio stations refused to play this song, which impeded its climb - the song only got as high as #24. It was a great song - one of his best, IMO. 29: I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN - ERUPTION (34) - Sort of a faceless disco song, but, considering my general opinion on that kind of music, this song was actually pretty good. 28: ALMOST SUMMER - CELEBRATION FEATURING MIKE LOVE (30) - This song should have been re-titled "Summer" this week, as that season had officially started several days before. But, I guess since it was the title song from a movie soundtrack... Anyway, this song definitely had that summer sound to it, since it featured Mike Love of the Beach Boys on vocals. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE - EDDIE MONEY - 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, such as the song from him that dropped off the survey this week. 27: WONDERFUL TONIGHT - ERIC CLAPTON (33) - One of Clapton's songs that receive the most recurrent airplay today (given that, I'm surprised it did not make an appearance on the R&R chart). It was a good song. Anyone remember this Yahoo Internet commercial from 2005 that features this song? 26: WITH A LITTLE LUCK - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (17) - As usual, they heavily edited this song (of course, they kinda had to, since the single version of the song is nearly six minutes long). Truly, AT40 had long since outgrown its three-hour allotted playing time. Anyway, this was definitely one of my favorite songs from Wings! 25: MISS YOU - THE ROLLING STONES (31) - Meh, I think we all know how I feel about this song. I preferred their other disco song, thank you very much. 24: OH WHAT A NIGHT FOR DANCING - BARRY WHITE (25) - Pretty much your typical late-70s slow jam. It was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 23: FOLLOW YOU, FOLLOW ME - GENESIS (29) - This was their very first Top 40 hit. I liked many of their hits, but this wasn't one of them. Just not my cup of tea. 22: I WAS ONLY JOKING - ROD STEWART (28) - One of Stewart's most underrated hits ever! This was all the higher the song got, which was a shame; it should have gone Top Ten like his song "You're In My Heart" from earlier in the year. 21: ON BROADWAY - GEORGE BENSON (8) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. It was pretty good, with Benson's trademark scat singing, but I still preferred the original by the Drifters. 20: LAST DANCE - DONNA SUMMER (23) - She was indeed on a roll, but the best was yet to come, as her next hit would hit #1 and she'd have three more #1 songs, all in 1979! This was a good one, like many of her big hits. 19: EVEN NOW - BARRY MANILOW (22) - This song looked like it would be another Top Ten for Manilow but, because of the rush release of "Copacabana", which Casey mentioned was on the verge of entering the Top 40, this song peaked at #19 and lasted only four weeks on the chart. Like most of his songs, it was a good one, but not one of his best IMO. 18: YOU'RE THE LOVE - SEALS & CROFTS (21) - They had a handful of big hits in the 70s, but unfortunately, this was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their earlier hits. 17: BLUER THAN BLUE - MICHAEL JOHNSON (20) - This Colorado native had three Top 40 hits and this was the biggest of them, peaking at #12. It was a great one, but I still prefer "This Night Won't Last Forever", which got as high as #19 in 1979. Interesting story about how his bout with pneumonia and his brother's leg injury was instrumental in starting Johnson's music career. 16: EVERY KINDA PEOPLE - ROBERT PALMER (18) - I'm not a huge Robert Palmer fan (but you already know that), but this song was actually pretty good. 15: FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE (7) - This song sure got a lot of mileage on the charts - peaked at #4 in its 13th week in the Top 40. A true guilty pleasure of mine, this song! Wasn’t this featured on a commercial (about something like Curtis Mathes TV sets) many years back? OPTIONAL EXTRA: MACHO MAN - THE VILLAGE PEOPLE - Well, I definitely prefer this song way over "Y.M.C.A.", but it is not quite as good as "In The Navy". 14: TOO MUCH TOO LITTLE TOO LATE - JOHNNY MATHIS AND DENIECE WILLIAMS (5) - Did Casey say that this was Mathis' only chart hit? Hardly; he'd had many top 40 hits back in the pre-Beatle era. Maybe Casey said it was his only chart hit in over 15 years? Well, whatever the case, this song had an unusually quick run on the chart - eleven weeks total. On the other hand, this was Mathis' (and Williams') biggest hit ever on the AC charts. As for my opinion about the song, it was a good one. 13: BECAUSE THE NIGHT - THE PATTY SMITH GROUP (15) - I'm more familiar with the 1993 cover of this song by 10,000 Maniacs, which doesn't sound all that different from this one (except for one of the chords in the chorus). Not sure which of the two I prefer, but, due to overplay of the cover, I'm still burned out on the song overall. 12: TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD - MEAT LOAF (14) - He had a handful of Top 40 hits, with this being my favorite - as well as one of my favorites on this week's chart. I do, however, prefer the full album version over the single, which was what AT40 usually, if not always, played. 11: THE GROOVE LINE - HEAT WAVE (13) - aka "Boogie Nights Part 2". I wasn't a huge fan of either song, but their ballad "Always And Forever", which charted between those two songs, was a great one. 10: DANCE WITH ME - PETER BROWN (11) - Meh, I preferred the Orleans song of the same title from three years before. This one just didn't do anything for me. 9: STILL THE SAME - BOB SEGER (16) - Another song that true chart watchers would have known was at this position. This song was looking like it might be his first #1. The song did climb as high as #4, which is great, but it should have gone to #1 IMO. But in 1978, topping the chart was nearly impossible if you weren't on the RSO label. 8: LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN - SWEET (10) - They had five Top 40 hits, all reaching the upper half of the chart. This one was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad - reminded me of something that ELO would do. 7: USED TO BE MY GIRL - THE O'JAYS (12) - Their last of six Top Ten hits. It was actually a great song - possibly my favorite of their hits! 6: YOU BELONG TO ME - CARLY SIMON (9) - A high point in the show for JessieLou here! This was a great song - one of Simon's best hits. I liked it as well as the Doobie Brothers' version, which was on their Livin' on the Fault Line album from the year before. 5: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA (6) - I like many, if not most, of their Top 40 hits. This song was pretty good - one that I've learned to like over the past year or so. I definitely prefer it over their other 1978 hit "The Name Of The Game", but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 4: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (2) - The first of two duets from Grease that they charted with, as well as one of two #1 hits from the soundtrack (the title track, back at #31, was the other). I like both duets about the same - it depends on my mood at the time. Regardless, both are great songs 3: IT'S A HEARTACHE - BONNIE TYLER (4) - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a really good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOT BLOODED - FOREIGNER - This song would not debut until the following week, but since it hit the Top 40 in its second week on, this would be the only chance to play it as an Optional (as the Top 40 Acts of the 1970s pre-empted the regular show the week of July 1). The "Double Vision" album was definitely one of their best singles albums, as all three releases were great! 2: BAKER STREET - GERRY RAFFERTY (3) - I tell you what, I used to really like this song, but not so much anymore. Perhaps overplay on oldies stations. I generally switch the station when this comes on. 1: SHADOW DANCING - ANDY GIBB (1) - This song was in the midst of a seven-week run at #1, on its way to becoming the top song of the entire year. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite won out for the year before, so it's all good).
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Post by Hervard on Jun 24, 2022 12:54:37 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 25, 2022
This week's presentation - June 30, 1984
DROPPERS: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (34) - One of the biggest hits of 1984 - three weeks at #1 and 16 weeks in the Top 40. Its stats on R&R were about the same, only on that chart, he actually logged four weeks at the top. If he'd had a little more oomph, this song just might have come out on top for the whole year on that chart, but it had to play second fiddle to that overplayed Van Halen song that sounded more like a sporting event theme song than a radio hit. But again, I digress. This was one of Phil's best songs ever, IMO. WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES (33) - Neither of his songs from his first album hit the Top 20, but he'd have much better luck with his next album Dream Into Action, which would be released the following spring and spawn three hits, each of which hit the Top 20. As for this song, it's a good one, but I preferred his other 1984 hit "New Song". I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN (32) - This song dropped out of the Top 40, but their new song "Panama" kept their streak alive. I did, however, prefer this one - had the typical sound of late-1970s/early 1980s AOR. RUN RUNAWAY - SLADE (27) - Like Howard Jones, they had two hits in 1984 (only those turned out to be their only Top 40 hits). Their second hit, a ballad entitled "My Oh My" would make a brief appearance on the chart later in the summer. This song, a rocker, was my favorite of their two hits. BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (17) - No big loss - I was never a fan of this song at all and was glad it fell off from such a high position.
40: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (18) - Wow! What a drop there! At least it didn't fall clean off; it would be a bummer if it was just below the Top 40 while that crapfest that was "Breakdance" kicked off the countdown. Anyway, the last time we heard a 1984 show, this song was at the opposite end of the list - all the way on top, and deservedly so, as it is one of my favorite Lionel Richie songs ever! 39: PANAMA - VAN HALEN (debut) - I found it kind of weird - Casey mentioned that this song debuted as "I'll Wait" fell off. John Leader said the very same thing on his "Countdown America" show - might have even been this same week! As for my opinion of this song, it was a good one, but, as I mentioned earlier, I preferred the song that it replaced. 38: FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE - MICHAEL JACKSON (40) - Michael Jackson would be doing double duty on the chart over the next few weeks - he debuts on the chart this week (on the entire Hot 100, no less) with his duet with Mick Jagger, "State Of Shock" and this week, he debuted with his solo hit from the compilation album of the same title. This one definitely had that classic Motown sound (and that it should, as that was the label the song was on). Given the popularity of Michael's Thriller album over the past year and a half, it's a surprise that this is all the higher the song got on the chart. Must not have been promoted very well. I myself thought it was a good one - I definitely prefer it over said Michael/Mick duet. 37: IF EVER YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN - PEABO BRYSON (debut) - His first Top 40 entry was his duet with Roberta Flack, "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", which hit the Top 20 the previous fall. His second and last Top 40 hit was on his own and it went on to hit the Top Ten (and did even better at AC radio, where it spent a month at #1. It is definitely one of his best hits ever! 36: ROMANCING THE STONE - EDDY GRANT (debut) - Another man who had two Top 40 hits. I preferred the first one, however, as overplayed as it was. This one wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to hear. 35: OBSCENE PHONE CALLER ROCKWELL (39) - This is another example of Michael Jackson's presence on a record affecting how it does on the chart. Rockwell's first hit "Somebody's Watching Me", of course, had Michael, as well as Jermaine, on backing vocals and it shot straight to #2. #35 is where this song peaked, and it dropped out the following week. It was clearly riding the coattails of the first hit. I thought it was a good song - its bass had a little hint of "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" by Kenny Loggins - which, by the way, is coming up very soon. 34: PRIME TIME - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (38) - Their eighth and final Top 40 hit. This one reminded me a lot of their biggest hit "Eye In The Sky". It was a pretty good one, though at the same time, I can see why it didn't do as well as most of their other hits. 33: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART (36) - The first Top 40 hit for this Montreal, Canada native, and one of his biggest. I like it, but I preferred most of his other hits. 32: I'M FREE (HEAVEN HELPS THE MAN) - KENNY LOGGINS (37) - Here is that Kenny Loggins song I mentioned earlier. He had one of the biggest hits of 1984 with the title track to the Footloose soundtrack and was hoping to duplicate that success with this song, but, in fact, this song only got as high as #22, as Footloose mania began to fade away. That's too bad, as I actually preferred this one over his bigger Footloose hit. Definitely one of my favorite of Kenny's big movie hits. LDD: BETH - KISS - This song definitely fit the LDD, as it's about a musician who's always away from home, though I'm sure the author wishes that Kiss named this song "Carol", as that was his wife's name. But songs like "Carol" (Chuck Berry), "Don't Kill It, Carol" (Manfred Mann), or the coup de gras, "Carol (You're The Bottom Of The Barrel)" by the Farquahr Brothers would not be suitable - might make his wife up and leave him. But all joking aside, I thought this was one of Kiss' best hits ever. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROUND AND ROUND - RATT - As big as hard rock bands were in the mid- and late 1980s, it's a surprise that they only had two Top 40 hits, one of which barely made it. That was "Lay It Down", which would hit the Top 40 the following summer, at #40. I preferred that one, but this was a good one as well. 31: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER (35) - I tell you what, I disliked this song with a passion back in the day, but it's one of those songs that gets better with age. 30: STATE OF SHOCK - THE JACKSONS (debut) - This song was credited to the Jacksons even though Michael was pretty much the only one of them doing the singing (I imagine the rest were singing backup, though). Anyway, I never really liked this song. It was a good summertime hit, however. 29: GHOSTBUSTERS - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS RAY PARKER JR. (debut) - 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. 28: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (31) - He'd hit #1 as a part of the Edgar Winter Group in 1973 with "Frankenstein", and returned to the Top Ten on his own with this song. It's another song I hated back in the day, but think it's a pretty good one now, but still, I preferred his next two hits "We Are The Young" and "Second Nature". 27: DON'T WALK AWAY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (29) - The second of three hits he charted with from the soundtrack of Hard To Hold. This was probably my favorite of the three, but his first one, "Love Somebody", which had hit the Top Ten earlier in the year would be a close second. 26: NO WAY OUT - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (28) - This was a landmark hit for the band, as it was their final Top 40 hit with Jefferson in the name. On their next hit "We Built This City", of course, they were billed simply as Starship. Anyway, this has always been one of my favorite songs from the band in any of their three incarnations. The guitar riffs at the beginning, as well as in the chorus, remind me of "Separate Ways" by Journey. Oh, one more thing - they actually left the song intact this week, as they seem to edit out either the second verse or the bridge (as well as the guitar solo leading up to it). Thanks, Premiere! 25: BREAKIN'…THERE'S NO STOPPING US - OLLIE AND JERRY (30) - Breakdancing was indeed all the rage back in 1984! Two songs about it even made the Top 40, including the Irene Cara song that dropped out. I liked this song a little better, but still, I wasn't too crazy about it or the movie it was from. My Dad and I went to see it about this time in 1984 and both agreed that was two hours of our lives that we'd never get back, LOL! 24: YOU CAN'T GET WHAT YOU WANT - JOE JACKSON (15) - Possibly THE longest Top 40 song title of 1984! Anyway, this song was a good one (with a great horn section), but I personally preferred "Is She Really Goin' Out With Him" and "Breakin' Us In Two". 23: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER (14) - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. Too bad they cut out the guitar solo in the middle - that was one of the best parts of the song. 22: MODERN DAY DELILAH - VAN STEPHENSON (24) - The only Top 40 hit for this Hamilton, Ohio native (and, sadly, it will stay that way, as he passed away back in 2001). Too bad, as this was a good song. 21: WHO'S THAT GIRL - THE EURYTHMICS (21) - LOL, the oldradioshows website had this one listed as being by Madonna. While it is true that this is one of my least favorite songs by the Eurythmics, I must say that I do prefer it over the Madonna song, since the latter was way overplayed (and I never really liked it in the first place). As for the Eurythmics, I think we all know what my favorite song from them is! OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE WARRIOR - SCANDAL f/PATTY SMYTH - They hit the Hot 100 five times, but this was the only song of theirs that hit the Top 40. I preferred most of their other songs, but this was a good one as well. 20: SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH) - ELTON JOHN (26) - The first of three top 40 hits from Breaking Hearts, and the only Top Ten from that album, as well as my favorite of the three (though "Who Wears These Shoes" would be a close second). 19: DANCE HALL DAYS - WANG CHUNG (25) - One of many newcomers to the chart in 1984. This was actually their second hit, and one of theirs that gets the most recurrent airplay (along with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"). This song was OK, but I preferred most of their other hits. 18: INFATUATION - ROD STEWART (23) - This song has been compared to his Top Five hit from early 1981, "Passion", since both songs sound alike. I preferred the latter of the two songs - this one never really did much for me. 17: DOCTOR! DOCTOR! - THOMPSON TWINS (22) - They had just come off of their second and, as it turned out, most successful hit ever "Hold Me Now" and, though it didn't quite measure up to the success of that song, it did well on the chart, just barely missing the Top Ten. Both this song, as well as "Hold Me Now" are among my favorite songs by the "twins". 16: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO (16) - Based on the way that this song, their first song from the Chicago 17 album, peaked at #16, it looked like it might not be a very big sales album, but the next two hits proved that wrong, as they both hit the Top Five - in fact, on the R&R chart, they were both #1s. I preferred those two songs, (especially "Hard Habit To Break") but this was a good one as well. 15: MAGIC - THE CARS (20) - The second of five singles from Heartbeat City, and my favorite of the five by a fair margin. Definitely released at the right time of year, as it had that summertime sound to it (I seem to remember the video was very summerlike as well). 14: IT'S A MIRACLE - CULTURE CLUB (13) - With its strong early chart action, one would think that this was a cinch to hit the Top Ten. Not quite - it only got as high as #13 the previous week. This pretty much showed that people were getting tired of the band, who'd been on the charts continually for nearly a year and a half. I disliked this song when it was on the chart, but I think it's pretty good now, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 13: LEGS - ZZ TOP (19) - They'd had several chart singles, which Casey mentioned (though I couldn't help but notice that he left out "La Grange", although it did technically chart on AT40 for a week due to a chart error), but this one put them in the Top Ten. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred their Afterburner singles. 12: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (11) - Her first of many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO. It was a pleasant surprise to hear the album version of the song. 11: OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY (9) - The very first solo hit from the man who was still actively the lead singer of Journey. He would have three more hits from Street Talk, but this was the biggest of the bunch - a great song IMO (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything) OPTIONAL EXTRA: SEXY GIRL - GLENN FREY - Following the break-up of the Eagles, Glenn had a decent solo career going, though he had yet to hit the Top Ten on his own. He would do that with his next hit, but this one did well, peaking at #20 in August. It was a great song and sort of appropriate for me at the time, because the guy who moved into the house next door to me in the summer of 1984 and he had a daughter that I found quite attractive (only thing is, she didn't live with him). 10: ALMOST PARADISE…LOVE THEME FORM "FOOTLOOSE" - MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON (12) - This, of course, was the love theme from Footloose. One of my favorite singles from the soundtrack! 9: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS (3) - And what do you know - back-to-back Footloose songs on the countdown. As the biggest hit from the Footloose soundtrack, this song was a very close second to the title track. I disliked this song when it was on the chart, due to all the overplay, but now, it's good to hear it every once in awhile instead of everytime I turn on the radio. 8: EYES WITHOUT A FACE - BILLY IDOL (10) - Be truthful now - how many of you, like me, thought he was asking the object of his affection to dinner or a movie? (as in "Hows About A Date"). Definitely a common misheard lyric. This was a good song, though my favorite song by him would probably be "Sweet Sixteen". LDD: (YOU'RE) HAVING MY BABY – PAUL ANKA w/ODIA COATES - This song wasn't bad, but quite cheesy. It did fit the dedication like a glove, though. 7: TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER (2) - Possibly THE most successful newcomer of 1984, with four Top Five hits from her debut album. This was the second of them, and possibly my least favorite, since it's somewhat depressing. It's still not bad, though. 6: THE HEART OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (6) - They seemed to like the #6 spot on the countdown, as three of their five hits from Sports peaked there. This one was even spending its fourth week at that position. I used to really like this song, but overplay tarnished my fascination for this song somewhat, though it's still a pretty good song. My favorite Sports single would be the next one, "If This Is It", which charted later that summer. 5: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) - THE POINTER SISTERS (7) - I have never liked the title of this song - it's like she's treating her man like a dog, making him do tricks for her to love him. If I was dating someone like that, I'd pack my bags and be outta there! 4: SELF CONTROL - LAURA BRANIGAN (5) - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her. 3: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE (8) - I think that I disliked this song even more than "Self-Conrol" back during its chart run. And guess what - I still dislike it even more. Not sure why, this one just didn't do much for me (though I did like his other Purple Rain singles). Interesting story about all the "bird" songs that hit the Top 40 over the years. Glad that the dove wins out, as it's the symbol of peace. I wonder how many songs name our national bird, the bald eagle? OPTIONAL EXTRA: STUCK ON YOU - LIONEL RICHIE - 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. 2: DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (4) - This was the first of an incredible seven singles from Springsteen's album Born In The USA, all of which made the Top Ten. This one looked like it might hit #1, but Prince leapfrogged over him the following week. It did hit #1 in R&R and Cash Box, though, so that was good. I liked this song, but preferred a few others, including songs on Born In The USA. 1: THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN (1) - I tell you what, I liked many songs from them, but never really got into this one. 1984 just wasn't their best year, IMO (though I did like "New Moon On Monday" - by far my favorite of their songs that charted that year).
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 25, 2022 15:42:58 GMT -5
Was disappointed that Van Halen's follow up to "Panama","Hot for Teacher" failed to make the top forty-The highest it got was # 56.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 25, 2022 15:45:14 GMT -5
Gotta love the video for "Dancing In The Dark" which featured a pre-"Friends" Courtney Cox.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 25, 2022 17:05:33 GMT -5
"Sad Songs (Say So Much)" was subsequently used in an ad campaign for Sasson Jeans-The slogan was "Sasson say no much".
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 26, 2022 15:57:30 GMT -5
Legendary comedian Milton Berle appeared in the video for Ratt's "Round & Round"-At the time,his nephew Marshall was managing the group.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 1, 2022 12:56:08 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 2, 2022
This week's presentation - July 10, 1976
Droppers: MOVIN' - BRASS CONSTRUCTION (34) - One of many one-hit wonders during the 70s that tried to get in on the disco craze. This song wasn't anything exceptional, IMO. THAT'S WHERE THE HAPPY PEOPLE GO - THE TRAMMPS (29) - As we all know, I wasn't a big fan of this kind of music (although their 1978 hit "Disco Inferno" wasn't bad). TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (23) - Another song I remember quite well from 1976 (though one of the stations I listened to gave this one early action, so I associate it more with the spring). Definitely one of my all-time faves from them! I WANT YOU - MARVIN GAYE (22) - I'm more familiar with Robert Palmer's 1991 cover, which sounds so much like the original - in fact, whenever I hear this song, I keep expecting it to segue back into "Mercy Mercy Me".
40: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (debut) - The brother of half of the duo that we'll be hearing later 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...) 39: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - TAVARES (debut) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song. 38: SILVER STAR - FOUR SEASONS (38) - This was their final Top 40 hit (well, except for the remix of "December, 1963" in 1994), and it only lasted two weeks on the chart, so, due to there being a special the week before, this was the only time it was heard on the countdown. It was OK, but not my favorite by them. 37: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE THIS - LOU RAWLS (debut) - This song would just miss 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. 36: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY (40) - This song was taking baby steps up the chart at this point. Little did anyone know that this song would eventually pick up steam and go all the way to #1! 35: SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL - ARETHA FRANKLIN (debut) - I don't remember this song back in the day - the first version of this one that I heard was En Vogue's remake from the summer of 1992. That one would be more successful, hitting the Top Ten while this version would peak at #28 a few weeks later. This one wasn't bad, but sounds kind of dated - I preferred said remake. 34: GOOD VIBRATIONS - TODD RUNDGREN (35) - If I hadn’t known who sang it, I would have thought it was a slightly different version of the original by the Beach Boys, because it sounded very much like it. Of course, nothing can compare to the original, but this version was pretty good. Makes me thirsty for a Sunkist orange soda! 33: SOMEBODY'S GETTING' IT - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (33) - He had recently come off of his biggest hit ever, the four-week chart topper "Disco Lady", which went on to become one of the year's biggest hits. This song, on the other hand, couldn't manage to get any higher than #33, where it had peaked the previous week. It was a pretty good song, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 32: MAMMA MIA - ABBA (32) - Somewhat of a surprise that this song didn't get any higher than #32, seeing that it's one of their most played songs on oldies stations. It was a good song, but IMO doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 31: SOPHISTICATED LADY (SHE'S A DIFFERENT LADY) - NATALIE COLE (36) - The third Top 40 hit from the daughter of the great Nat "King" Cole. It was pretty good, but I preferred her material from the 80s and 90s. 30: YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON (37) - The tenth and last (as well as biggest) hit for this American soul and gospel singer from Hanceville, Alabama. It was a pretty good song IMO. 29: I NEED TO BE IN LOVE - CARPENTERS (38) - Richard and Karen weren't quite as big as they were earlier in the decade, but their songs were still great, like this one, which peaked at #25 two weeks later. 28: LAST CHILD - AEROSMITH (31) - Here's one I remember hearing from time to time back in the day. Good song, but I generally prefer their 80s and 90s hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE - This great song wasted absolutely no time hitting the #1 spot, where it would hold for the entire month of August (it was even bigger on R&R, spending seven weeks on top, which was a record at the time). This song was all over the radio back in the summer of 1976, but I never got tired of it. 27: SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN (28) - This one sounds more like a kiddie song, but not too bad. 26: I'M EASY - KEITH CARRADINE (30) - Meh, sounds more like second-rate Jim Croce. I used to like this song, but not so much anymore. 25: MAKING OUR DREAMS COME TRUE - CYNDI GRECCO (25) - "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!" Another TV show theme, in this case, the one from "Laverne & Shirley", which IIRC was on after Happy Days back in the day. The TV show was great, as was this song. 24: TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER - PARLIAMENT (27) - Gerardo did a semi-remake of this song, called "We Want The Funk", which peaked at #16 in the summer of 1976. As for this song, it pretty much blends in with all the faceless disco music during this era. 23: TODAY'S THE DAY - AMERICA (24) - Here's another song I remember from its chart run. I'm surprised that this only got as high as #23, as WLS played this one all the time back in the day. It was a good one, though I preferred a few others from them. 22: TURN THE BEAT AROUND - VICKI SUE ROBINSON (26) - 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. They edited this one kind of weird this week - I think they cut out two verses, as the first one played was the one about the flute player. 21: LOVE HANGOVER - DIANA ROSS (18) - She had two number one hits in 1976, and the first one, "Theme From Mahogany" would easily be my favorite of them. This one just never did anything for me. 20: YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND - QUEEN (21) - You know what, I can’t believe this song didn’t hit the Top Ten - it sure got a lot of airplay. Although that depends on the radio stations in your area. I listened to WLS a lot and that song peaked at #4 on their station’s playlist. I still hear this on oldies station every now and then, which is good, because this is one of my favorites from Queen. 19: GET UP & BOOGIE - SILVER CONVENTION (7) - This one is a toughie, as far as learning all the lyrics! It was a good one; too bad it just narrowly missed becoming their second #1 hit... 18: GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (20) - Jim Seals' brother, England Dan, along with singing partner John Ford Coley, kicked off this week's show with their debut song, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", which would hit the Top 40 two weeks later. Like that song, this one would also hit the Top Ten. This song wasn't bad, though not quite their best. Jim Seals sort of sounded like he had a runny nose in this song. 17: IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - NEIL DIAMOND (19) - Two weeks ago, this song had made an impressive debut at #24, making it look like a possible #1 song, but, in fact, the song missed the Top Ten altogether. This song has sort of a theatrical sound to it, as if Jim Steinman had produced it. I liked this song, but there are a few other songs from Diamond that I prefer. 16: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - THIN LIZZY (17) - Here's another one of my personal faves from back in 1976 (yes, I liked hard rock when I was as young as four years old, lol!) 15: ROCK & ROLL MUSIC - BEACH BOYS (16) - This song definitely showed that, even though the sixties was clearly their decade, they still had it in the 70s! 14: TAKE THE MONEY & RUN - STEVE MILLER (15) - The first of three Top Twenty hits from Miller's Fly Like An Eagle album. This one narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten. This song was OK, IMO, but I preferred the other two singles from said album (both of which DID hit the Top Ten). OPTIONAL EXTRA: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON - Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart. This was the second single from the album, which would go on to become the top album of the entire year. This song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from the album. 13: MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT - STARBUCK (14) - This was the first of two Top 40 hits by this band from Atlanta, and, by far, the most successful. The marimba solo by co-founding band member Bo Wagner makes the song a great listen for a warm evening. Definitely my favorite of Starbuck's two hits. 12: LET HER IN - JOHN TRAVOLTA (13) - He currently had a gig as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter, but he showed his second talent on this week's chart with his debut hit. It was a good one and would hit the Top Ten two weeks later. 11: NEVER GONNA FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ERIC CARMEN (11) - This was Carmen's second hit and the follow-up to the #2 hit "All By Myself". I preferred this song - one of Carmen's best hits ever! Too bad it just barely missed hitting the Top Ten! 10: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - BEATLES (12) - Here's one I remember quite well, since it was #1 on the WLS record survey so I heard it all the time that summer. It was a great song! 9: SARA SMILE - HALL & OATES (4) - The first of a whole slew of Top 40 hits from the duo. This one definitely had a lot of mileage, as it had been on the chart since early April, yet it was falling from its peak position this week. The song is not bad, but definitely not one of their best, IMO. 8: LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (10) - 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). 7: MISTY BLUE - DOROTHY MOORE (3) - This song was written in the mid-sixties, which definitely shows, as it sounds like a song from that era. The song's OK, but nothing exceptional. 6: SILLY LOVE SONGS - WINGS (1) - This was the aforementioned song that prevented Silver Convention from collecting their second number one hit. The song wasted no time hitting the top, but dropped out after only one week up there. The only thing is, it wasn't over for this song - after a two-week hiatus, the song would return to #1 for an additional four weeks and, as stated earlier, would become the top song of 1976. The song's OK, but I prefer many other songs from them, my favorite being "With A Little Luck", which would also hit #1. EXTRA: WHOLE LOTTA LOVE - LED ZEPPELIN - This song, used as the final Optional Extra, is definitely a classic rock staple, like many Zeppelin hits. This song was OK, but I prefer many others from them. Casey did make a slight mistake, however. He said that of Led Zeppelin's nine chart hits, only four have made it into the Top 40. Actually, up to that point, five Led Zeppelin songs had hit the 40. 5: MORE, MORE, MORE - ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (6) - Of their two Top 40 hits, I preferred this song. The Canadian alternative rock band Len apparently liked it as well, as they sampled it in their big 1999 hit "Steal My Sunshine". 4: SHOP AROUND - CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (5) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Miracles. 3: I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU - BROTHERS JOHNSON (8) - The first Top 40 hit for this soul duo from Los Angeles. This is my favorite song by them, which isn't saying much, as I disliked their three other hits. I preferred the cover by Quincy Jones featuring Chaka Khan and Ray Charles, which hit the charts in early 1990. 2: KISS & SAY GOODBYE - MANHATTANS (9) - Wow, what a huge chart jump! One would guess that it would hit #1 the following week, but not quite. I'm thinking that its big move was partially due to vacuum effect, with so many songs clearing out of the Top Five at the same time. Anyway, as we all know, I find this song depressing, especially the spoken part at the beginning. There were a few weeks that they skipped over that part, but. unfortunately, this wasn't one of those weeks. No - give me their other Top Ten hit "Shining Star" any day. 1: AFTERNOON DELIGHT - STARLAND VOCAL BAND (2) - During this era, Casey always mentioned when there was a new #1 song, but this was one week where Casey was really selling it. Several times throughout the show, he mentioned that there was a new number one song - at least one time, saying it was a “delightful” new #1. And, going into the #1 song, Casey said, “And I know what you're saying - you're saying, 'I knew it all the time!'" Actually, for close chart followers, it wasn’t any big surprise, as that was the only ascending song within striking distance of the top spot and the week before, it made a five-spot move to #2. Anyway, I like this song a lot.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 1, 2022 12:56:18 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 2, 2022
This week's presentation - July 3, 1982
Droppers: I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (32) - 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. 867-5309 - TOMMY TUTONE (31) - I wonder if anyone still has this phone number, and if they're still receiving nuisance calls from people asking for Jenny? Hope they have caller ID. Anyway, this was a good song. DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (17) - Rick had one number one song apiece on Billboard and the R&R chart - only with different songs. "Jessie's Girl" was Rick's #1 on the Hot 100, but this was his song that topped the R&R chart, where it spent five weeks at #1. Both songs are among my favorite songs from Mr. Springfield. IT’S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE - DENIECE WILLIAMS (15) - This song had that "rainy day" sound to it, but it was still pretty good - not as good as her #1 hit two years later, though. MAKING LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK (13) - Wow, three songs dropping out of the Top 40 from well inside the Top 20? This is another guilty pleasure of mine, as I know several people who would give this "No. Just no" status, but I really like it - especially the synths in the song.
LW#3: ROSANNA - TOTO LW#2: DON’T YOU WANT ME – THE HUMAN LEAGUE LW#1: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY 40: ANGEL IN BLUE – THE J. GEILS BAND (debut) - A prime example of "Third Single Syndrome" here - the first two singles from "Freeze Frame" made the Top Five, but this one didn't get any higher than #40. I can kind of see why the song didn't fare too well, as it was more laid back than the first two hits. Fans who were used to their typical upbeat sound were probably disappointed in this song, which I actually thought was pretty good. 39: HOOKED ON SWING – LARRY ELGART & HIS MANHATTAN SWING ORCHESTRA (debut) - As we all know, there was a medley fad on the charts in the early 1980s, and this was a big band one. It was actually pretty good. Casey didn’t talk over the song this week, but a few weeks later he did as he told the listeners the title of every song. He did that a few times with “Hooked On Classics” earlier in 1982. 38: DANCING IN THE STREET – VAN HALEN (debut) - Interesting that Van Halen’s biggest chart success up to that point had been with remakes. That would all change a little less than two years later... Anyway, of the three versions of this that I've heard (the other being the original by Martha & The Vandellas and Mick Jagger/David Bowie), this would be my favorite. 37: ISLAND OF LOST SOULS - BLONDIE (39) - Blondie had spanned many different genres of music, including rock, disco, reggae and even rap. This one had a calypso flavor to it and, IMO, was a pretty decent song. 36: HOPE YOU LOVE ME LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (36) - This was their second Top 40 hit, so they weren't really an established act yet. That might be why this song, which has the doo-wop sound like several of their other Top 40 hits, didn't do so well, as this was all the higher it got - which is a shame, as it is one of my all-time faves from them! 35: BE MINE TONIGHT – NEIL DIAMOND (37) - The third and final single from On The Way To The Sky. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. This is where the song peaked - might have done a little better had it been released a few years earlier. 34: HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY - CHICAGO (38) - They had been absent from the chart for over three years, but more than made up for lost time with this song, which would go all the way to #1 by late summer. Of course, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio. 33: THIS MAN IS MINE - HEART (35) - This was their first Top 40 hit in about a year and a half, and would be their last for another three years, before they came back bigger than ever. As for this song, though it wasn't quite their best, it was still a good song. 32: AFTER THE GLITTER FADES – STEVIE NICKS (33) - Fleetwood Mac was a little higher up on the chart with a song on which Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie shared lead vocals, but Stevie Nicks (who sang back-up on the song) had her own hit on the chart as well. It was definitely one of her best songs ever and quite underrated. Not only did it peak at this position, but it actually fell off the following week, defying the 1982 rule about songs sitting at their peak positions for two or more weeks before falling. Wow, was that ever an obscure first hour! With the exception of the Chicago song, none of the above songs reached into the Top 30. In fact, of those songs, all except for "Hooked On Swing" were sitting at their peak positions! OPTIONAL EXTRA: KIDS IN AMERICA - KIM WILDE - I heard this song on Sunny 101.5 earlier today when I was out on a leisurely drive. This was the first of two Top 40 hits for Wilde. Her other hit, from five years later, was, of course, her biggest hit ever, hitting #1. This song was OK, but I preferred said #1, as well as her 1988 song "You Came", which just barely missed becoming her third Top 40 hit, peaking at #41. At least that song was a Top Ten dance hit, so it's all good. 31: EARLY IN THE MORNING – THE GAP BAND (debut) - Mainly an R&B act, they did have two crossover hits, both in 1982. They sounded very similar, so I'm not sure which of them I prefer, though neither of them are anything exceptional. 30: GOING TO A GO GO – THE ROLLING STONES (debut) - Recorded live in 1981, this was a remake of the Miracles #11 hit from 1966. With its good-sized debut, it would seem that it stood a chance to best that peak, but the song only climbed as high as #25. The song was OK, but definitely not one of their best. 29: WASTED ON THE WAY – CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH (debut) - I just heard their 1977 song "Just A Song Before I Go" on this week's 1977 show, now here's the follow-up to that song. This is likely my favorite song from them (though said 1977 hit would be a very close second - both are great songs). 28: BODY LANGUAGE - QUEEN (11) - Ordinarily, this is a “No. Just no” song. But since it takes the biggest fall of this week (and would be gone the next week), it’s all cool. This song is also the only descending song in the lower half of the Top 40. Indeed, you can tell that this was 1982! 27: EVEN THE NIGHTS ARE BETTER – AIR SUPPLY (34) - This is the song that holds the undesirable record for the song that took the longest fall out of the Top 40. In September, it would fall from #6 to #42 (but you already knew that, right?) Anyway, like "Here I Am", this was one of their best songs, IMO. 26: BREAK IT UP - FOREIGNER (26) - This song was the fourth single from their album 4. The song's pretty good - sounds a little like several of their late-70s hits ("Cold As Ice" and "Blue Morning, Blue Day" come to mind). 25: PERSONALLY – KARLA BONOFF (29) - Back in the summer of 1994, I bought Karla’s Wild Heart Of The Young album, after hearing the title track playing over a scene in The Wonder Years, and it turned out to be a worthy purchase, as I liked each and every song on the album, this one included. 24: STILL THEY RIDE – JOURNEY (27) - The fourth single from what is IMO one of their best albums ever, ESC4P3. Several other songs from the album were not released as singles, but were popular album cuts (i.e. "Stone In Love" and "Keep On Runnin'"). This song was by far my favorite song from the album. LDD: I BELIEVE IN YOU – DON WILLIAMS - This LDD was from a woman who was apprehensive about having a risky facial operation to the man who convinced her to have it. They held the LDD until they could get a hold of the woman after her surgery. Apparently, it went quite well. As for the song, though cheesy, it is a good one and fitting for the LDD. 23: FORGET ME NOTS – PATRICE RUSHEN (25) - Ah, "The Blinker Song", as I've dubbed this 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. 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. 22: HOLD ME – FLEETWOOD MAC (30) - This one set a record for the longest peak at any position outside of #1 or #2 that, as far as I know, could still be standing today (though, of course, I stopped believing in the Hot 100 soon after 11/30/1991). It was one of my favorites from them back in the day, but I have since grown tired of the song (though it's good to hear it every now and again). OPTIONAL EXTRA: VACATION - THE GO-GO'S - I had forgotten that this was the first cassette single released in the States. Of their three 1982 hits, this would be my second favorite behind "Alex The Seal" "Our Lips Are Sealed". 21: WHAT KIND OF FOOL AM I – RICK SPRINGFIELD (24) - And here's the song with possibly the longest peak for a song outside the Top 20, as it was stuck in the #21 position for six weeks. It did hit the Top Ten in R&R, though, which was good, as this was one of my favorite songs from Springfield. Too bad it's totally ignored by radio anymore. 20: KEEP THE FIRE BURNIN’ – REO SPEEDWAGON (28) - This was their only upbeat song that hit the Top Ten. It was pretty good, but I generally preferred their power ballads. 19: ABRACADABRA – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (22) - After an impressive fourteen-spot jump the week before, this song makes a more modest, three-spot move this week. It still made it to #1, though. I was getting tired of the song near the end of its chart run, but now I think it's a good song, since it's not overplayed as a recurrent. 18: TAKE ME DOWN - ALABAMA (20) - One of four songs of theirs that crossed over to Pop. It wasn't bad, but didn't hold a candle to "Love In The First Degree" 17: PLAY THE GAME TONIGHT - KANSAS (21) - Wow, two groups named after states back to back in the countdown. That sure didn't happen often, did it? Anyway, this was their very first song with John Elefante as the lead singer, as former lead singer Steve Walsh had left the group to start a solo career. This was a pretty good song, but I generally preferred their earlier material. 16: DO I DO – STEVIE WONDER (23) - Several songs on this week's chart that were sampled in future Top 40 hits, in this case, "Livin' It Up" by Cookie Monster - er, I mean Ja Rule. Of course, I preferred this song. 15: ANY DAY NOW – RONNIE MILSAP (18) - One of several country crossover artists that hit during 1982. This was one of my favorite songs from Milsap - a great song indeed! The song would peak at #14 the following week, but, as Casey mentioned going into this song, it was this week's #1 hit on the Country charts. 14: THE OTHER WOMAN – RAY PARKER JR. (10) - A song about infidelity. The sequel to this song, in which he expressed remorse for his unfaithful behavior, "Bad Boy", was a Top 40 hit early the following year, but it didn't quite measure up to the success of this song, which was Ray's first hit without Raydio. It was okies, but one of my least favorites from him. 13: ONLY THE LONELY – THE MOTELS (16) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this band from Los Angeles. I liked all four of those hits, my favorite being "Remember The Nights", from early 1984. This was their biggest hit overall, and the only one that gets any kind of recurrent airplay nowadays. 12: CRIMSON AND CLOVER – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (7) - This one wasn't quite as good as her monster hit "I Love Rock And Roll" from earlier in the year, but I prefer it over her third hit from later on that year, as well as the original by Tommy James. 11: TAINTED LOVE – SOFT CELL (14) - Definitely one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. Of course, we all know that this song held the record for the longest consecutive run on the Hot 100 - in fact, I believe that the song has such a record for the pre-Soundscan era (remember - "What About Me" by Moving Pictures doesn't count, as that song had two chart-runs). OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOT IN THE CITY - BILLY IDOL - This song had two chart runs - it peaked at #23 in this one and, when it was re-released in 1987, it climbed to #48. It wasn't a bad song, but I preferred several others from him. 10: CAUGHT IN YOU - .38 SPECIAL (12) - Definitely one of my absolute favorites from them! This was their first of two Top Ten hits (you thought they had more, didn't you?) 9: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR (19) - Wow, just two weeks in the Top 40 and this song was already in the Top Ten! Unsurprisingly, this song was on its way to #1 (in fact, it was the second most popular song of 1982, behind "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John). It was a good song - has held up pretty well despite overplay. I do prefer a few others from them, though. 8: LOVE’S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME – JUICE NEWTON (9) - Of course, this was one of my favorite songs from her, as it was one of her 1982 hits. I preferred the other two, but this is still a great one nonetheless! LDD: I BELIEVE - CHILLIWACK - I've heard this song many times on Volume 2 of Barry Scott's Lost 45's. It was a great song, though I personally preferred "My Girl (Gone Gone Gone)", which, IIRC, was on Volume 1. 7: LET IT WHIP – THE DAZZ BAND (8) - This was the week's #1 song on the soul chart, and it was on its way up the Hot 100, eventually peaking at #5. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however. 6: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – WILLIE NELSON (5) - 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 during the time the Pet Shop Boys version was charting - by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, IIRC. 5: HURTS SO GOOD – JOHN COUGAR (6) - Here's one of the biggest songs of the decade that fell short of the #1 spot. Chart performance-wise, it was his biggest hit ever (before late 1991, anyway). A good song that has aged quite well. 4: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (4) - The first of four Top 40 hits for this British band, as well as their biggest. My third favorite from them, only ahead of "Don't Cry" (which is also a good one). 3: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (1) - This song had just spent seven weeks at #1, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year so far. The song was indeed quite overplayed, but now that I don't hear it anywhere near as often as I used to, I actually like this song - it definitely has a great message. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EYE IN THE SKY - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT - Here is a song that was overplayed back in the day, but now, I seldom hear it outside of countdown shows anymore. Definitely one of my favorite songs from them. 2: ROSANNA - TOTO (3) - This one couldn't get any higher than #2, but it became their biggest hit overall. It was a good song that still gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. 1: DON’T YOU WANT ME – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (2) - This was one of two #1 songs that held the aforementioned Toto song out of the top spot. This is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1982, as that was when it was #1 and played a lot on the stations I listened to - a great song indeed!
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