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Post by MrGeno502 on Aug 14, 2022 0:07:38 GMT -5
Hervard,I've Had Enough was Wings' second single from the London Town album. The title track was the third single.There wasn't a fourth.
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Post by Hervard on Aug 19, 2022 13:15:12 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 20, 2022
This week's presentation - August 18, 1979
Droppers: PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH WIND – KANSAS (37) – One of their lesser known hits, and one that I don't ever remember hearing – either the radio stations I listened to did not play it or it didn't make an impression on me back then. I thought it was pretty good, but I prefer several other songs from them. DO IT OR DIE – ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (33) – This was a great song – both melodically and lyrically – it definitely had a great message, especially for people who felt that they were at the end of their rope. I seem to remember that it was used as an LDD request several times. DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW – ABBA (29) – This was Abba's first charted single that featured Björn Ulvaeus on lead vocals instead of Agnetha Faltskog and Frida. It was a pretty good song, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". BOOGIE WONDERLAND – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (27) - A one-time team-up between these two acts. The song was OK, but I preferred most of EW+F's other material (and the only other song I've heard by the Emotions was "Best Of My Love" - yes, I preferred that one too). SHINE A LITTLE LOVE – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (17) - As their new song was burning up the chart way up in the Top 20, this song left the 40 FROM the Top 20. That's right; the song fell clean off the chart next week. What year does THAT remind you of? AIN’T NO STOPPIN’ US NOW – McFADDEN & WHITEHEAD (16) - Wow, two songs dropped off the chart from inside the Top 20 this week? I thought this was 1979, not 1982. But seriously, this was great Philly Soul music here! I remember this one quite well!
LW#3: THE MAIN EVENT - BARBRA STREISAND LW#2: GOOD TIMES - CHIC LW#1: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER 40: THE BOSS - DIANA ROSS (debut) - Casey mentioned that Diana Ross was the solo female with the most #1 songs, with four, so far. She had many more than that counting her hits with the Supremes! Anyway, I wasn't generally a big fan of her disco songs, but I actually liked this one (probably because it wasn't overplayed like some of her other songs). 39: GIRL OF MY DREAMS - BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY (debut) - There were quite a few one-week wonders on the chart this week and this British trio was one of them. I thought this was a great song - too bad it climbed only two spots higher. 38: YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE - THE JONES GIRLS (debut) - This was a one-week wonder here on American Top 40. It wasn't bad. 37: SAIL ON - THE COMMODORES (debut) - This one had sort of a country feel to it. It apparently worked, as the song hit the Top Five (and spent three weeks at #1 on the Radio & Records chart). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by the Commodores. LDD: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY - This song, from the year before, was Murray's first hit in over four years, but it was worth the wait, as this song made it all the way to the top. This was one of her all-time best, ranking right up there with her three 1979 Top 40 hits, as well as her two from 1980. Indeed, 1978-1980 was her heyday, especially on my Personal Top 30 chart. 36: DIFFERENT WORLDS - MAUREEN McGOVERN (40) - You could definitely tell that this was a TV show theme - from the somewhat short-lived TV show Angie. I liked this song a lot - sort of a combination of disco and MOR. 35: OH WELL - ROCKETS (39) - Decent cover of a song originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac during their early years. I vaguely remember hearing this one back in the day. 34: DRIVERS SEAT - SNIFF & THE TEARS (debut) - Hmm, I wonder how they came up with a band name like that? As for the song,The song wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. ARCHIVE: FIRE - THE OHIO PLAYERS - Not a big fan of this song or them in general (though their other #1 hit, "Love Rollercoaster" wasn't bad). OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOLD ON - TRIUMPH - The first of two chart entries from this hard rock band from Canada. They were more of an album rock band than anything, as they only had two pop Top 40 hits, neither of which hit the Top 20. Both of them were really good songs, IMO - not sure if I prefer this or "Somebody's Out There". 33: CRUEL TO BE KIND - NICK LOWE (debut) - Here's another one I remember from back in the day! It was a good one. Glad they didn't cut out the second verse like they did several times during the song's chart run (including the following week). 32: BORN TO BE ALIVE - PATRICK HERNANDEZ (36) - Interesting that he has an Irish first name and a Spanish surname, yet he is French. This song, which had recently spent three weeks atop the disco chart, was so/so, but nothing special (though it remains a disco/dance staple today). 31: I WANT YOU TO WANT ME - CHEAP TRICK (14) - Now THIS is definitely one of the songs that I associate with the summer of 1979 the most! I heard it on the juke box at the beach house almost every time I went there. Too bad that beach has all but gone to pot. 30: A BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU - ROBERT PALMER (38) - Here's another song that I remember hearing all the time back in the day – and it still gets moderate airplay on oldies stations. This song is OK, but I'm generally not a huge Robert Palmer fan. 29: HIGHWAY SONG - BLACKFOOT (34) - This was your typical late-70s southern rock song. It was pretty decent, IMO. 28: I DO LOVE YOU - GQ (32) - As well as one-week wonders, there are also several two-hit wonders on this week's show. This R&B act was one of them and, while the first one was an upbeat disco song, this one was on the mellow side. It was a pretty good song, IMO. 27: ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - BLONDIE (24) - Meh, not a fan of this one - the way she says, “I’m gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha” is just annoying and obnoxious sounding! 26: MORNING DANCE - SPYRO GYRA (30) - Casey mentioned that this was the only instrumental on the chart this week, but another song would join it the following week ("Rise" by Herb Alpert). I definitely preferred this song, a great jazz piece, with a definite Caribbean feel to it, with the congas and marimba. One of my favorite songs for all of 1979! 25: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU - BONNIE POINTER (28) - She was a former member of the Pointer Sisters, but left the group the year before to pursue a solo career. This song, her only solo Top 40, was pretty good, but I generally preferred songs by the Pointer Sisters. She definitely sounded like a female Louis Armstrong near the end of this song! 24: HOT SUMMER NIGHTS - NIGHT (35) - The first of two Top 40 hits from this band from Los Angeles. I liked it, but I preferred the follow-up, which featured Chris Thompson on vocals. 23: LET'S GO - THE CARS (31) - I remember hearing this one at the beach every now and again back in the summer of 1979. It's a good song, but I generally preferred their 80s hits (mainly from Heartbeat City). ARCHIVE: YOU'RE NO GOOD - LINDA RONSTADT - This song was part of the longest revolving door of one-week #1 songs in Hot 100 history in early 1975. Ronstadt had two Top 40 hits a few years earlier, but this was the one that would get her chart career started proper. It was a great one! OPTIONAL EXTRA - SO GOOD, SO RIGHT - BRENDA RUSSELL - This song definitely had that autumn sound to it, didn't it? Anyway, I had never heard of Brenda Russell (needless to say, we're not related) until “Piano In The Dark” was released about eight years later. Both songs are great – I liked them about the same. 22: LONESOME LOSER - THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (25) - The second of three hits that they charted with in 1979. It wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite of those songs. My favorite, of course, was "Lady", which peaked at #10 earlier in the year. 21: IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM - JOE JACKSON (23) - This is one I remember from back in the day. Sugar Ray did a remake of this song back in 2003, but the original is definitely the best. 20: GOODBYE STRANGER - SUPERTRAMP (26) - I've seen that the single version of this song is the same as the album version, so they must have played a promo version of the song, as the instrumental lead-ins to the choruses are deleted, which would take away about 20 seconds from the song. Plus, the song fades out a little earlier. Anyway, this is probably my favorite single from the Breakfast In America album (though I feel that several other songs, such as "Lord Is It Mine" and "Just Another Nervous Wreck" should have been released as well - they sounded just as radio-friendly as any of the singles). 19: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER (9) - Well, I guess people were finally getting tired of this song, which just come off of an incredible fourteen-week run in the Top Ten, three of those at #1, definitely living up to its title! This was my favorite of Summer's big hits in 1979! 18: GOLD - JOHN STEWART (5) - Here's one I remember quite well! This one featured Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals - making an already great song even better! 17: SUSPICIONS - EDDIE RABBITT (22) - I was somewhat surprised to hear that this song hit #1 on the Country charts, as it is possibly Rabbitt's most un-country sounding song ever. It had more of a smooth jazz sound to it, but it was a great one, IMO. 16: I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN - DIONNE WARWICK (20) - This was her first hit in five years, but she had definitely improved with age, as I preferred most of her songs from this point on over her earlier hits. 15: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON (8) - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable. 14: DON'T BRING ME DOWN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (18) - With the chart momentum of this song (which was in only its second week in the Top 40), this song looked like a sure-fire #1, but it wasn't to be; the song ran out of gas at #4, which is still very good. I liked the song back in the day, but not so much today, as it has been quite overplayed. I preferred their other 1979 Top Ten, which is sadly ignored by radio anymore. LDD: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA - This LDD was pretty short and to the point, about a girl who wanted any guy to ask her out instead of passing on her because she seems to dull. I think it goes without saying that this was a fitting song for the dedication! 13: LEAD ME ON - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (15) - A true two-hit wonder here, as her only other Top 40 entry was "Right Back Where We Started From", a song I used to like, but now not quite as much, due to overplay. This is definitely my favorite song from her. ARCHIVE: PICK UP THE PIECES - AVERAGE WHITE BAND - The first and biggest hit by this Scottish group. This was a good one - had a hint of Philly soul in it. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SPOOKY - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - This song was released at about the right time of year, as it peaked right around boo-time. Anyway, this was a good song, and, during the instrumental bridge, as well as the last verse, it sounded a lot like the original (since it was in the same key). Not sure if I prefer this one or the original by the Classics IV. 12: SAD EYES - ROBERT JOHN (13) - With all the baby steps this song was taking (though it had made a few large moves a few weeks earlier), who knew that it was going to go all the way to the top? This song would tie "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder as the slowest climb to #1 - a total of 21 weeks each - a record that would stand for about two and a half years. Anyway, this is definitely my favorite of the two songs. 11: I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU - KISS (11) - Kiss had gone disco by this time and that didn't really work for them, as this was their only Top 40 single with a disco beat. I myself prefer their slow songs (as did the general Top 40 audience, as their two Top Ten singles were both ballads). 10: MAMA CAN'T BUY YOU LOVE - ELTON JOHN (12) - I'm surprised that we don't hear this song much anymore, given that it was a Top Ten hit around an era during which Top Ten songs from him were few and far between. I liked this one - one of his best late-70s hits. 9: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT - RAY PARKER & RAYDIO (10) - This song and their 1981 song "A Woman Needs Love" sounded very similar. I slightly prefer this one though (but both of them are great songs!) 8: THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (21) - Did Casey announce this as the biggest jump of the week? Well, whatever the case, this was definitely their signature song (as well as most successful - it went platinum). It was a great song, but I preferred "Still In Saigon". 7: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD (7) - I heard this one a few times at the local skating rink back in the day. It was OK, but nothing special. 6: WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - DR. HOOK (6) - As we all know, my favorite song from them was "Better Love Next Time", but this was a good one too - and it became one of their most successful hits. 5: AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (19) - Oh, so THAT'S why Casey didn't say that "Devil Went Down To Georgia" was the biggest mover - because that's not true. I would have never guessed that the fastest moving song was way up in the Top Five! Anyhoo, I used to like this song a lot, and still do a bit, but it has that kind of "rainy day" sound to it. I preferred many other songs from them, including "That's The Way Of The World" and "September". In the backsell, Casey said that this sounded like a sure-fire #1 song. Well, in terms of the Radio & Records chart, he was correct, as the song did top that chart a few weeks later. However, on the Billboard chart, the song fell a bit short, peaking at #2. 4: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER (1) - Donna Summer had been at #1 for eight of the past eleven weeks. This song had spent the past five of those at #1. She was indeed on fire! This was a good song. but, as I stated earlier in the show, I preferred "Hot Stuff". 3: THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT - BARBRA STREISAND (3) - Interesting to hear an upbeat song by Streisand. I guess she was trying to get in on the disco craze, little knowing that it was beginning to burn out. In fact, around the time this song debuted is when an event instrumental in the death of disco happened - Chicago DJ Steve Dahl's infamous Disco Demolition. Anyway, of the two disco songs on which Streisand sang in 1979, this was the only one that I liked. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVIN', TOUCHIN', SQUEEZIN' - JOURNEY - Remember, they say "na" exactly 154 times in the song. Yes, there was a time that I was so bored that I actually counted them. 22 na's in each group, and there are seven groups of na's, so do the math from there. Anyway, the song, which was right outside the Top 40 (#42, to be exact) is a good one - one of my favorites from them. 2: MY SHARONA - THE KNACK (4) - This is the song that shut out "After The Love Has Gone" out of #1, since this spent six weeks on top - and became the top song of 1979 as a result. Due to overplay, both back in 1979 and today on oldies stations, I'm still burned out on this one. No, I much preferred "Good Girls Don't" (at least they played the single version of this, with the shorter instrumental break after the second chorus). 1: GOOD TIMES - CHIC (2) - They pulled double duty this week, as this was #1 on both the Top 40 AND the Soul chart. This one is kind of overplayed, but I do prefer it over "La Freak". But my favorite of their 1979 hits, as you probably know all too well, was "I Want Your Love"
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Post by Hervard on Aug 19, 2022 13:15:25 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 20, 2022
This week's presentation - August 18, 1984
LW#1: GHOSTBUSTERS – RAY PARKER JR. 40: COVER ME – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (debut) - The second of an incredible seven Top Ten hits from Springsteen's "Born In The USA" album (and possibly the most "obscure" one, as it doesn't get much recurrent airplay). I liked it, but preferred a few other songs from the album. 39: WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT – TWISTED SISTER (debut) - This song reminded me a little of "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot. I liked this one a lot. 38: TWO SIDES OF LOVE – SAMMY HAGAR (debut) - We recently heard one of my favorite of Sammy Hagar's solo hits a few weeks back and now here's another. This was my third favorite of his hits, behind the one I was talking about ("Give To Live") and "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy". A great song indeed - shame that it petered out at #38. 37: MY, OH MY - SLADE (39) - Wow, they sure changed pace with this song. After a fun, upbeat song, they went with a ballad this time. I liked it a lot and this is one of those cases that my mood at the time depends on what song I prefer. 36: 17 – RICK JAMES (debut) - I don't remember hearing this song back in the day, since it didn't chart on Countdown America and, even though it did make an appearance on the WLS station survey, I never heard them play it. Anyway, it was actually pretty good, though nothing exceptional. 35: RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE - EURYTHMICS (40) - Very interesting song from them - has sort of a Caribbean feel to it. A great song indeed! 34: EYES WITHOUT A FACE – BILLY IDOL (16) - 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". 33: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) – THE POINTER SISTERS (18) - 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! 32: CRUEL SUMMER - BANANARAMA (37) - Well, it looks like some of us will be hearing their three Top Ten hits in as many weeks in a row, as "I Heard A Rumour" was on last week's 1987 show and last week's B show featured "Venus" and "I Heard A Rumour" will be on next week's 1987 show. This would be my second favorite song from them, behind the 1987 song. 31: WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES – NIGHT RANGER (36) - They had a slew of great songs in the 80s. There is not a single Top 40 hit of theirs that I don't like - the only one that doesn't quite get "great song" status is their first Top 40 entry, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", from early 1983. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TORTURE - THE JACKSONS - Their second song to chart in 1984. Though I definitely prefer this over their other song (which, unfortuntely, is coming up in the countdown), I preferred their early-70s songs. 30: LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE – BILLY JOEL (31) - For awhile, this looked like it would be the final Top 40 hit from An Innocent Man, but Joel would surprise us in early 1985 with a sixth song. As for this song, it might have fallen into obscurity if not for the fact that it was a #1 AC song and received much airplay at that format. 29: ALIBIS – SERGIO MENDES (29) - This was my possibly my favorite song on the countdown. Too bad this is all the higher it got. I guess if you weren't Prince or Madonna, back in 1984, you were pretty much S.O.L. Oh well, this song did do well on my Personal Top 30 chart, peaking at #3 for four weeks, behind "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" and "No Way Out". 28: DYNAMITE – JERMAINE JACKSON (33) - Well, I may not have been much for the two Jacksons hits from 1984, but such is not the case with Jermaine's two songs from that year, as those are among my favorites from him. 27: DRIVE – THE CARS (34) - Meh, for awhile I forgot that this show was from when I was starting 7th Grade (aka "Hell On Earth"). Songs like this reminded me. Definitely my least favorite song from Heartbeat City. 26: THE GLAMOROUS LIFE – SHEILA E. (27) - The first Top 40 hit for this California native whose last name is Escoveto. It was so/so in my opinion, but not quite my cup of tea. I did like her next hit, "The Belle Of St. Mark". 25: ALL OF YOU – JULIO IGLESIAS & DIANA ROSS (30) - The second hit from Julio's album 1100 Bel Air Place album. I think it's a great song, though I know a few folks who consider it a "No. Just no" song (I guess I can see why, though). You might call this a guilty pleasure of mine! 24: LEGS – ZZ TOP (14) - The biggest Top 40 hit for this Texas band. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred the Afterburner era. 23: LET’S GO CRAZY – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (35) - I was pleasantly surprised to hear the album version of this song, which contains the entire intro instead of the shortened one on the single version. I wonder if it was a Premiere edit, as, from what I've heard, I don't believe they ever played the full intro on AT40. Anyway, this definitely beats his other song on the chart this week. 22: BREAKIN’…THERE’S NO STOPPING US – OLLIE AND JERRY (11) - Breakdancing was indeed all the rage back in 1984! Two songs about it even made the Top 40, including the Irene Cara song that hit the Top Ten earlier in the year, as did this song. 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! 21: SHE’S MINE – STEVE PERRY (21) - This one didn't quite measure up to the success of Perry's initial solo single "Oh Sherrie", which was too bad, because this was one of his best songs ever. LDD: HELLO AGAIN – NEIL DIAMOND - I'll comment on this one when I hear the LDD again. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ARE WE OURSELVES - THE FIXX - Larry's story about this was interesting - he mentioned that it was the song with the shortest playing time to make the Top 40 during all of 1984. How long did he say it was? (My Joel Whitburn book lists it as 2:27, but I could have sworn Larry said it was just over two minutes long). Anyway, I prefer this song over stuff like the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another", but it's not quite as good as songs like "Saved By Zero" and "Secret Separation", IMO. 20: SEXY GIRL – GLENN FREY (24) - 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 too. 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 had a daughter that I found quite attractive (only thing is, she didn't live with him). 19: ROCK ME TONIGHT – BILLY SQUIER (22) - Meh, this one wasn't exactly my favorite from Squier. I preferred songs like "In The Dark" and "Everybody Wants You". 18: LIGHTS OUT – PETER WOLF (23) - Formerly the lead vocalist of the J Geils Band, this was his first solo hit. It was a good song - one of his best both solo and with the J. Geils Band. 17: THE WARRIOR – SCANDAL FEATURING PATTY SMYTH (25) - They hit the Hot 100 five times, but this was the only song of theirs that hit the Top 40. I liked it, but I preferred other songs from her such as "Goodbye To You" and "Love's Got A Line On You"). 16: IF THIS IS IT – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (19) - Well, this definitely wasn't it, by any means, as he/they were one of the top acts of the entire decade. This was by far my favorite song from the Sports album. 15: SHE BOP – CYNDI LAUPER (20) - Possibly the naughtiest song on this week's chart. But it's a great one nonetheless. 14: ROUND AND ROUND - RATT (17) - 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. 13: PANAMA – VAN HALEN (15) - The third song from their huge album whose title just might have been inspired by George Orwell But seriously, this would be my second favorite of their three Top 40 singles from the 1984 album, behind "I'll Wait". 12: DANCING IN THE DARK – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (7) - The show kicked off with the second single from Springsteen's album Born In The USA (all of which made the Top Ten, BTW), and here was the one that started it all off. This one looked like it might hit #1, but Prince leapfrogged over him and, of course, that song spent multiple weeks on top. Thus 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. 11: INFATUATION – ROD STEWART (9) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GO INSANE - LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM - I personally preferred his early 1982 hit, "Trouble", but I'll tell you what, this song is nowhere near as annoying as "Holiday Road". That song, which is kind of annoying in the first place, tends to stick in my mind whenever I hear it (which, thankfully, isn't too often). 10: IF EVER YOU’RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN – PEABO BRYSON (13) - His first Top 40 entry was his duet with Roberta Flack, "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", which hit the Top 20 the previous fall. This song was 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. Definitely one of his best hits ever, IMO! 9: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT – COREY HART (10) - Something you might need to do if you lived at the North Pole in the summer. But seriously, this was 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. 8: SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH) – ELTON JOHN (5) - 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). A good song indeed. LDD: LAST TRAIN TO LONDON – E.L.O. - This song was fitting for the dedication, for several reasons (you'd have to listen to the LDD, as it's a little hard to explain). As for the song, it wasn't bad (reminded me of the Mary Tyler Moore theme), but definitely not one of their best. 7: MISSING YOU – JOHN WAITE (12) - This is another song I find somewhat depressing, like "Drive" by the Cars. 6: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (8) - Here's one that I never used to like, but now, I think it's not bad. I still prefer his next two singles. 5: STUCK ON YOU – LIONEL RICHIE (6) - 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 three different Billboard singles charts. 4: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE (2) - Meh, don't get me started. Let me just say - as I mentioned earlier, I preferred Prince's other hit on the chart this week. 3: STATE OF SHOCK – THE JACKSONS (3) - Ugh, here's that other Jacksons hit. As we know all too well, I'm not a fan. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ON THE DARK SIDE - JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND - A song I remember from both of its chart runs (as, when it was credited to Eddie & The Cruisers the year before, B96 played it in medium rotation). It was a good one, though my favorite song was "Tough All Over", which charted in the summer of 1985 (and was heard on the series about a month back). 2: WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT – TINA TURNER (4) - 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. This song would become Turner's first #1 hit two weeks later. The song fell short on the R&R chart (two years later, the tables would be turned with her song "Typical Male"). 1: GHOSTBUSTERS – RAY PARKER JR. (1) - 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.
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Post by mga707 on Aug 20, 2022 19:56:02 GMT -5
7: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD (7) - It was OK, but nothing special. Yep, you pretty much nailed it right there. Pushing this song to #1 I'll bet required some song title-related 'payola'. A little nose candy 'gift' for the PD to ring HIS bell...
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Post by Hervard on Aug 26, 2022 12:47:01 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - August 27, 2022
This week's presentation - August 27, 1977
DROPPERS: SUNFLOWER - GLEN CAMPBELL (39) - Don't remember this one. IT’S A CRAZY WORLD - MAC MacANALLY (37) - Can’t say that I remember this song either. I do, however, remember his song that just missed the AT40 chart in 1983, “Minimum Love”, which peaked at #25 on the R&R chart. LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW (35) - 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. DA DOO RON RON - SHAUN CASSIDY (28) -The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it hit #1 six weeks before. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one.
40: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (debut) - This was their first Top 40 hit, and it was Top Ten bound. Part 2 of this song ("The Groove Line") would chart the following year and would also hit the Top Ten. Both songs were so/so IMO, but my favorite song from them was the one that charted between those two songs, "Always And Forever", one of the most popular love songs of all time. 39: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (debut) - 1977 was definitely the year for movie songs! This one, from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, was one of many songs held out of #1 by Debby Boone's eternal #1 hit (it did sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart). It is one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon, as well as one of my faves on this week's chart. 38: "STAR WARS" THEME - MECO (debut) - And look here - another movie hit! This was an interesting disco version of the Star Wars theme, though I preferred the one by the London Symphony Orchestra, which is coming up later in the show. 37: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (27) - This one was a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know consider this a snoozefest. That's why I like it; nice and mellow - has sort of a haunting sound to it. 36: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (38) - Her popularity had peaked during the first half of the 1970s, but she indeed had a few last gasps in the late-70s. This was her second-to-last Top 40 hit. It was a good one. 35: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (debut) - I wonder if anyone thought this was the new song by Barry Manilow when they first heard the opening piano notes, as it definitely sounded like something Manilow would sing (after all, Barry's recent #1 hit was one of this week's droppers, so it would make sense for him to be returning with a follow-up. Anyway, it should come as no surprise that I thought this was a great song. 34: SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (36) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad. 33: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (10) - Wow! What a huge drop. Oddly enough, it actually spent two more weeks in the Top 40. It remained at #33 the following week and then dropped to #36 the week after. Not sure what happened there. Anyway, 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’s my favorite song by the Rollers. 32: SLIDE - SLADE (32) - The only Top 40 entry from this funk band from Dayton, Ohio. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. According to Joel Whitburn’s Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits, this song is an instrumental. Um, I think it has too many vocals in it to be classified as an instrumental. 31: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (31) - Here's another song that stalled out on its way down the chart (like the Bay City Rollers song would do the following week). This was definitely one of the biggest hits of 1977! One of the best, as well; this one peaked at #2 on my Personal Top 30, edged out of #1 by "Peace Of Mind" by Boston. 30: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (40) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and Da Doo Ron Ron are probably my two favorites from him. 29: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (34) - I was surprised to hear that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. 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. 28: EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (33) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best. 27: CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (29) - This hard rock band from the Big Apple had a pretty decent year in 1977, with three Top 40 hits. This one wasn't bad, but I prefer their ballads over their upbeat songs. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BRICK HOUSE - THE COMMODORES - I swear that I hear this song at every single dance party or wedding reception that I go to! Plus, this is overplayed on oldies stations - I definitely prefer their other 1977 hit "Easy" by far. 26: YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (26) - Here's another previously dropping hit in holding pattern, like Alan O'Day back at #31. 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. 25: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (9) - He 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 would be a close second - it's a great song! 24: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (30) - Their only Top Ten hit that did not go to #1 (it didn't miss by much, though; it peaked at #2 for three weeks, but couldn't quite get past Meco; then, when Debby Boone leapfrogged this song, of course, there was no hope). I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best. 23: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (7) - Of course, I have mentioned how this song sounds a lot like "Goodbye Girl" by David Gates (and that I prefer the latter). Not much else to say about the song... 22: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (24) - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man") 21: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (25) - This was his second chart entry and clearly my favorite of his two 1977 hits, as well as one of my favorites from him of all time. 20: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (22) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!) 19: BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (20) - Meh, not a fan of this one. Way too repetitive and besides, I don't really like southern rock. EXTRA: SUSPICIOUS MINDS - ELVIS PRESLEY - Of course, this was played right after Casey read his tribute to Elvis, who had passed away almost two weeks before. 18: TELEPHONE MAN - MARY WILSON (18) - Let's just say that I'm glad that this goofy song's playing time was only two minutes long. 17: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (19) - The first two hits from Leo's Endless Flight album hit #1 and it looked like this one could do the same but, as a matter of fact, it didn't even hit the Top Ten. That's too bad, as it was my favorite song from the album. 16: THEME FROM "STAR WARS" - THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (21) - Of course, we already know that this song, the original Star Wars theme, is my favorite of the two versions of it on the chart this week. 15: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (18) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. This was all the further it got, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart; that version of the song was a #1 Hot AC smash, a format that did not exist back in 1977). This was one of my favorite songs by Supertramp and I was delighted that they played the full version of the song (as they generally chopped out certain parts, mainly near the beginning and the end of the song). 14: SMOKE OF A DISTANT FIRE - THE SANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (15) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile back in the early 1990s as a recurrent). OPTIONAL EXTRA: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS - As this song came onto the Hot 100 at #89 this week, who knew how much mileage the song would get on the charts. Heck, it didn't peak until mid-March of the following year, and, of course, it would end up breaking the record for the longest-running song on the Hot 100. As for the song, it was a good one; nice and mellow! 13: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (16) - 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! 12: BARRACUDA - HEART (14) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. This is a song that I used to think was just OK, but I've recently gotten to like it a lot recently. 11: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (4) - He never quite matched the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album, but this song, from his sophomore album, of the same title, was his most successful single, peaking at #2. It is definitely my favorite song from him. 10: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (23) - This one was indeed a popular song (after all, it made a huge move this week and eventually hit gold status). It just wasn't quite my cup of tea, that's all. 9: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (11) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it. 8: FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS (13) - This song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Give Me Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well. 7: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (8) - They had been hitting the chart for nearly ten years but, oddly enough, this was their very first Top Ten hit. I preferred their later hits myself. 6: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (6) - The first of several great songs by them. This one peaked at #3 on my Personal Top 30 chart in September 1977. I actually like this one a little better than "Cool Love", which actually made it to #1 on my chart due to a lack of good songs (IMO, mind you) in the fall of 1981. In 1977, however, there were plenty of great ones. 5: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (12) - I actually associate this more with 1978, since that’s when my Mom played his JT album a lot (plus, she was really good at playing this song on her guitar). Definitely one of his best and I prefer this over the original by a fairly wide margin. 4: EASY - THE COMMODORES (5) - This was when their musical quality began to improve, as their first few hits were mediocre at best. This remains one of my favorite Commodores songs of all time! 3: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (3) - Casey said that this song had a good chance of hitting #1 the following week. Unfortunately, the top two was just too strong (although it did manage to climb a spot higher before falling clean out of the Top Ten the week after). This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL - They only had one Top Ten, but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, peaking at #11 and taking a hard fall this week. One of my favorite songs by Firefall! 2: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (2) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 a few weeks later (the same week that Rita Coolidge peaked at #2), it decided that three weeks weren't quite enough and made an encore appearance at the top. It went on to become AT40's #1 song of 1977. 1: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS (1) - This was the song that Andy Gibb pushed out of the top spot with said encore. But the song proved that turnabout was fair play, as it dethroned the Andy Gibb song the week after that for a total of five weeks on top. It was a great song! Mariah Carey apparently thought so as well, as the bass line for her song "Emotions" was very similar to this.
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Post by Hervard on Aug 26, 2022 12:47:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 27, 2022
This week's presentation - August 31, 1985
YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE - WHITNEY HOUSTON (30) - Mind you - I am not listing the droppers from highest to lowest - this was actually the lowest ranked song on last week's chart that dropped off this week. This was first of many, many, many big Top 40 hits for Whitney (it wasn't her first Hot 100 appearance, however, as she sang on a duet with Teddy Pendergrass the year before, called "Hold Me". This song peaked at #3 a few weeks before. As for my opinion of this song, it was a great one, as I generally preferred her slow songs (though a few of her upbeat songs are great as well). GET IT ON (BANG A GONG) - THE POWER STATION (27) - Their second of three Top 40 songs they charted with in 1985. I actually preferred this over the mediocre original by T. Rex from 1972. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE - DEPECHE MODE (26) - The first Top 40 hit for this English band. I never cared much for it, however; I preferred their two Top 20 hits from 1990.
LW#1: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS 40: NO LOOKIN’ BACK – MICHAEL McDONALD (debut) - Co-written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (along with Ed Sanford, of "Smoke From A Distant Fire" fame), this song appeared on both Loggins' 1985 album Vox Humana and Michael McDonald's album to which this was the title track. Both versions sound very much alike, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Either way, it's a great song! 39: C-I-T-Y – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (debut) - They had a nice little string of hits over the past year. This would probably be my second favorite of them behind "Tough All Over". 38: I WONDER IF I TAKE YOU HOME – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (37) - I find it weird that three songs on last week's chart fell out from inside the Top 30, yet this one, which was moving down the week before, managed to hang around? Well, whatever the case, this was a pretty good song, but as we all know, I preferred "All Cried Out" by a wide margin. 37: EVERY STEP OF THE WAY – JOHN WAITE (debut) - His first solo hit, "Missing You" went to #1, but he couldn't seem to match that success with any of his follow-ups. This song, which uses a line from that song as the opening lyrics, was underrated, IMO. 36: LIVE EVERY MOMENT – REO SPEEDWAGON (34) - Well, the first two hits from Wheels Are Turnin' both hit the Top 20, yet this one couldn't push past #36. It wasn't one of my all-time faves from them, though it was still pretty good. I was generally a big fan of their music, especially the power ballads. 35: WHEN YOUR HEART IS WEAK – COCK ROBIN (36) - Must! Resist! Inserting! Lecherous! Batman! Joke! Here! But seriously, this song was pretty good, though a little cheesy. 34: STATE OF THE HEART – RICK SPRINGFIELD (26) - Nice to hear him do a slow song. By now, Rick had long since had his day in the sun. He would only hit the chart once more after this, about two and a half years later. 33: ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE) – FREDDIE JACKSON (24) - He was big on the soul charts (where this one spent six weeks at #1), but he also had a few Pop hits as well. This one, as well as the others, were great, but my favorite song from him was his Christmas song "One Wish". 32: GLORY DAYS – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (22) - Bruce had recently joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as only the third artist to score with five Top Tens from a single album. Bruce wasn't done yet, though - he released two more songs from Born In The USA and those hit the Top Ten at well, tying him with Michael Jackson for the record number of Top Tens from one album. This was one of my favorite songs from the album - a great one indeed! 31: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU – WHITNEY HOUSTON (39) - As mentioned earlier, she had only just begun. As she dropped out of the countdown with her first hit, this was racing up the chart, on its way to becoming her first of many #1 songs. It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: A NIGHT AT THE APOLLO LIVE: THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO/MY GIRL - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES WITH DAVID RUFFIN & EDDIE KENDRICK - Wow, took my nearly half the song to type all that in! Anyway, I thought this was a great rendition of these two classics by the Temptations - very energetic, as many live hits are. 30: LONELY ‘OL NIGHT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (40) - Ah, this was when I realized that this show was run as an AT40 Flashback the day that I had one of my kitties put to sleep. I just somehow remembered that the Flashback version of the show started off with this song, which I think is a good one - possibly my favorite song from Scarecrow (although "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and "Rain On The Scarecrow" were good ones as well). 29: CRY – GODLEY & CREME (35) - "Huh huh - he's faking. He's not really taking a dump!" Yeah, when I saw the episode of Beavis & Butthead with the video to this song, I never saw it the same way again! 28: TAKE ON ME – A-HA (38) - The first hit for this Norwegian act, who's often known as a one-hit wonder, because of this song (as not everyone is familiar with "The Sun Always Shines On TV"). This was a great song, and I'm glad it hit #1! 27: THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL – EURYTHMICS (32) - Of course, we know full well that this is my favorite of their Top 40 hits! Lennox's vocals are somewhat theatrical sounding, and Stevie Wonder does a killer harmonica solo in the bridge of the song! 26: OH SHEILA – READY FOR THE WORLD (33) - The first of three Top 40 hits from this R&B band from Flint, Michigan, as well as the biggest (would hit #1 in October). It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Love You Down". 25: SHAME – THE MOTELS (29) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit. It was my least favorite of their hits, but was still a great one - that said, it's too bad they didn't have more Top 40 hits. 24: MYSTERY LADY – BILLY OCEAN (25) - One of only three Top 40 hits during Ocean's chart career that did not hit the Top 20. I guess slow jams like this were passé. Anyway, I thought it was a good song, though certainly not his best. 23: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (31) - Madonna was on a roll at this point, with five Top Fives in a row (this one would follow suit), and there was a lot more where that came from! This was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs. 22: YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) – DEAD OR ALIVE (16) - A two-hit wonder band from Liverpool, England. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit (as was this one) about two years later, but this one's pretty good as well (though it's too bad Flo Rida had to go and mess it nearly a quarter of a century later). 21: WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW – DEBARGE (11) - It took a few years, but they finally hit the Top Ten in 1985 with "Rhythm Of The Night". This one followed suit, peaking at #6 several weeks earlier. This was easily my favorite of the two hits! LDD: COUNT ON ME – THE JEFFERSON STARSHIP - One of their Top Ten hits that featured Marty Balin on lead vocals, and my favorite of those hits. It fit the LDD quite well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SO IN LOVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK - Oddly enough, even though this sounds so much like "If You Leave", that one is my least favorite from them while this would be my favorite (with "Dreaming" a close second). 20: LIFE IN ONE DAY – HOWARD JONES (23) - Like DeBarge, he didn't start hitting the Top Ten right away, but he did manage to make it earlier this year. This one did well too, peaking in the teens. It was my favorite of his hits up to this point (my absolute favorite would chart a little less thana year later). 19: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY – PAUL YOUNG (9) - This was definitely among the most played songs of the summer of 1985, but it has held up quite well. I don't think I ever got tired of this song, and I'm glad that it made it to #1. 18: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE - STING (8) - I mentioned earlier that I had made a tough decision to have one of my cats put to sleep this weekend in 2002, when this was the featured show on AT40 Flashback. I was so beside myself that I had momentarily forgotten about my show. When I turned it on, this song was playing and I couldn't help but think how appropriate it was, given the situation. Anyway, this song, Sting's first of many solo Top 40 hits, was said to be an antidote to his biggest hit ever, "Every Breath You Take", which he considered "a really nasty song". Whether that's true or not, I'm not completely sure, but either way, I like this song, but generally preferred his 90s hits. 17: SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM – MOTLEY CRUE (21) - Something I got caught doing once back in my sophomore year. Fortunately, the teacher just scoffed and walked off - didn't want to waste his time apparently, so I dodged a bullet there! As for the song, it was a pretty good song, considering I wasn't a huge fan of them. 16: DARE ME – THE POINTER SISTERS (20) - Ah, it's the song that fueled Casey's rage for the Dead Dog Dedication song two weeks later! 15: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (10) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s. 14: FREEDOM – WHAM! (19) - This used to be my favorite song ever since I first heard it in mid-June, 1985, when B-96 gave this song early action, when "Everything You Want" was still in the Top Ten. However, overplay sort of dimmed my like for this song. This song had a normal climb up the BB chart, but was burning up the R&R chart until it hit the Top Ten, and it only got as high as #6. I have a feeling that early action on other stations besides B-96 played a role in that. It peaked at #3 on Billboard though, which is surprising, seeing that this was their fourth single from "Make It Big". Usually, sales are quite small for fourth singles, especially from such a successful album as "Make It Big" was. Maybe the fact that the single version was different than the album version (I think) was instrumental in that (wasn't the single version the one with the horn solo at the end?) 13: POP LIFE - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (18) - This was one of my favorite songs by Prince, but it sure seemed to come and go pretty quickly. It didn't even make the Top 100 of the year, which I thought was a shame. It did a lot better on my Personal Top 30, though, hitting #1 and ranking #4 on the year-ender. 12: INVINCIBLE (THEME FROM “THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN”) – PAT BENATAR (15) - Her fourth and final Top Ten hit (you thought she had more, didn't you?) Anyway, this wasn't quite my favorite song from her, but it was pretty good. 11: DON’T LOSE MY NUMBER – PHIL COLLINS (13) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album. 10: MONEY FOR NOTHING – DIRE STRAITS (17) - One of two songs on this week's chart that Sting's involved with (of course, he's the one who wants his MTV). The song was OK, but it was very overplayed. I preferred their three other Top 40 hits, as well as a few album cuts from their first, self-titled album. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUNSET GRILL - DON HENLEY - The last of four singles from "Building The Perfect Beast", and my favorite from the album (though "Not Enough Love In The World" is a close second). This song peaked at #14 on the R&R chart, but didn't even hit the Top 20 on the Hot 100 (1982, anyone?) 9: YOU’RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) – BILLY JOEL (14) - I liked the way that Joel decided not to go back and correct the goof in this song (when he flubbed a line near the end and laughed) in order to prove the point he was making in this song, which I thought was a good one, but it wasn't his best. LDD: ONE HUNDRED WAYS – QUINCY JONES WITH JAMES INGRAM - My favorite of their two collaborations that hit the charts. Having heard this song many times on YouTube (as it is on one of my playlists), I've noticed that AT40 has always used a version of this song with a noticeable bad edit around the bridge, when there was a short sax solo. Hard to believe that they never corrected that mistake. 8: CHERISH – KOOL & THE GANG (12) - Speaking of bad edits, I noted one in this song - at the end, right before Casey outroed it, it dropped in pitch slightly - apparently a Premiere edit. As for the song, I liked it - my second of their Emergency singles, behind "Fresh" Too bad it just barely missed the top spot thanks to Dire Straits. 7: NEVER SURRENDER – COREY HART (3) - This was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all. 6: SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS (2) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without. 5: SUMMER OF ‘69 – BRYAN ADAMS (7) - I liked the way Casey played drop pieces of all five songs that were #1 during the summer of '69 - from June 21 through September 21, even though they spanned longer than that - the first song, "Get Back", had actually hit #1 on Memorial Day weekend and the last of the five, "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies, which hit #1 around the weekend that fall began, held at #1 into mid-October. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred hit #1 song from earlier that year, "Heaven". 4: WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME) – TINA TURNER (6) - Like Heart, Tina Turner was definitely most successful on the charts during her 1980s comeback, and this is one of her biggest hits, just missing the top spot, peaking at #2. I thought it was a good song, though I preferred a few of her others. 3: FREEWAY OF LOVE – ARETHA FRANKLIN (5) - With none other than Clarence Clemons playing sax, this was Aretha's comeback hit - that put her back into the Top Ten, that is. It was definitely a comeback over on the R&R chart, from where she'd been absent for over eleven years. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album, as well as a few of her songs after that. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVIN' EVERY MINUTE OF IT - LOVERBOY - Wow, all of this week's Optional Extras were songs that you don't hear much anymore. I wonder how many correct guesses there were the last time this show was aired (or the one before that, if they were the same all three times this show was aired). 2: ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) – JOHN PARR (4) - Like Dead Or Alive, Parr was a two-hit wonder. Only difference is that, while the two hits of the formers were about equally as successful, this song was by far the most successful of his two hits (spent two weeks at #1 in September). I thought it wasn't bad, but it sure was overplayed. 1: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (1) - A song from one of the best movies ever, IMO. I loved the Back To The Future trilogy! This was played in the first one as Marty McFly rode his skateboard to school after finding out he was 20 minutes late, hoping to dodge his principal, but no such luck. This is possibly the song by Lewis that gets the most recurrent airplay anymore. I like it, but wish that radio stations would occasionally play a few of their big hits that are all but ignored nowadays.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 2, 2022 12:45:30 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 3, 2022
This week's presentation - September 3, 1977
Wait - didn't we just have a 1977 show last weekend? Oh well, I'll post a recycled commentary for this one anyway.
Droppers: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (37) - This one was a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know consider this a snoozefest. That's why I like it; nice and mellow - has sort of a haunting sound to it. SLIDE - SLAVE (32) - I don't remember how this one goes, but I seem to recall it wasn't anything exceptional. UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (31) - Definitely one of the biggest hits of 1977! One of the best, as well; this one peaked at #2 on my Personal Top 30, edged out of #1 by "Peace Of Mind" by Boston. YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (26) - I remember that this song sounded like "How Important Can It Be" by Joni James, a song that reached #2 on the charts two decades before.
40: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (debut) - I joined the show a little late, so I missed this one (was looking for a Sunday noon broadcast of the 1986 show, which turned out to be fruitless). As you can guess, I didn't consider that a great loss. 39: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - GEORGE BENSON (debut) - This is where the show was when I came in. This was a really nice song, though I preferred Whitney Houston's remake of this - but that's because I heard that version first (and more often). I have a feeling that I'd prefer George's version if I'd heard it during its chart run, but, in fact, I do not ever remember hearing it on the radio. 38: JUNGLE LOVE - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (debut) - The second single from Book Of Dreams and one of four songs that he charted with in 1977. This was pretty good, but my least favorite of his 1977 singles. 37: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (25) - As we all know, I preferred his power ballads over his loud rockers. This is possibly my second favorite song from him, behind "Only Women". 36: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (23) - I wonder if David Gates was inspired by this song for "Goodbye Girl", since they both sound very similar. Anyway, this is ordinarily the type of song that I'd really like (and I believe at one time I did), but now I think it's just a little too cheesy for my taste 35: WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY (re-entry) - I loved the way that Casey said that this song "re-debuts" this week. Of course, Elvis' death about three weeks before accounted for its renewed popularity. It was a good song. 34: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (36) - Her popularity had peaked during the first half of the 1970s, but she indeed had a few last gasps in the late-70s. This was her second-to-last Top 40 hit. It was a good one. 33: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - BAY CITY ROLLERS (33) - After its hard fall from #10 the week before, one might expect this song to drop out the following week, but, as a matter of fact, it was in holding pattern. Not sure what happened there, but nevertheless, it was a good song. 32: SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (34) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad. 31: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (35) - I wonder if anyone thought this was the new song by Barry Manilow when they first heard the opening piano notes, as it definitely sounded like something Manilow would sing. Unsurprisingly, I thought this was a great song. 30: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (40) - With a jump like that, this was definitely Top Ten bound. Part 2 of this song ("The Groove Line") would chart the following year and would also hit the Top Ten. Both songs were so/so IMO, but my favorite song from them was the one that charted between those two songs, "Always And Forever", one of the most popular love songs of all time. 29: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (39) - Another big jump - and like the Heatwave song, this would peak at #2. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon (Chris Thompson's song "If You Remember Me" from two years later reminds me of this song). 28: TELEPHONE MAN - MERI WILSON (18) - This one was a little goofy - I wouldn't like to hear it on a daily basis. 27: "STAR WARS" THEME/CANTINA BAND - MECO (38) - This was the biggest jumper of the week - had just a little more oomph in it than the Heatwave and Carly Simon songs. This one would go on to hit #1. I liked it, but preferred the other version of the Star Wars theme by the John Williams Orchestra on this week's chart. 26: EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (28) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best. 25: CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (27) - Like Alice Cooper, I liked Kiss' ballads the best, but this song wasn't too bad. 24: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (29) - I was surprised to hear that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. I liked this one. EXTRA: DON'T GO BREAKIN' MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE - The #1 song from a year before (though not fifty-two weeks before - the first week in September, "You Should Be Dancing" by the Bee Gees had moved into the top spot. Nevertheless, it was a great song - one of Elton's best. 23: THAT'S ROCK 'N' ROLL- SHAUN CASSIDY (30) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and Da Doo Ron Ron are probably my two favorites from him. 22: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (11) - He never quite matched the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album, but this song, from his sophomore album, of the same title, was his most successful single, peaking at #2. It is definitely my favorite song from him. 21: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (24) - Their only Top Ten hit that did not go to #1 (it didn't miss by much, though; it peaked at #2 for three weeks, but couldn't quite get past Meco; then, when Debby Boone leapfrogged this song, of course, there was no hope). I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best. 20: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (22) - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man") 19: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (21) - Casey mentioned that this was his biggest hit, and it would end up being his biggest hit ever; just barely missed the Top Ten, which I thought was a shame, as it was my favorite song from him. A small consolation - it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #8. 18: BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (19) - I'm not a big fan of Southern Rock, so this song didn't really do anything for me. 17: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (17) - A true example of "Third Single Syndrome". After two #1 hits from Endless Flight, this was all the higher this song got. Too bad, as it was my favorite of his three EF singles. 16: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (20) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!) 15: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (15) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. This was all the further it got, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart, that is; that version of the song was a #1 Hot AC smash, a format that did not exist back in 1977). This was one of my favorite songs by Supertramp 14: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (6) - The first of several great songs by them. We heard his song that hit #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart on last week's 80s show. This one peaked at #3 on my chart in September 1977. I actually like this one a little better; "Cool Love" made it to #1 on my chart due to a lack of good songs (IMO, mind you) in the fall of 1981. In 1977, however, there were plenty of great ones. 13: STAR WARS - THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / JOHN WILLIAMS (16) - Of course, we already know that this song, the original Star Wars theme, is my favorite of the two versions of it on the chart this week. 12: SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE - THE SANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (14) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile back around 1990 as a recurrent). 11: BARRACUDA - HEART (12) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, but preferred several others from them. 10: TELEPHONE LINE - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (13) - This song had a rather slow climb up the charts; debuted in early July and peaked at #7 the last week of September. It was a great one; one of my favorites from them. 9: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (10) - This one was indeed a popular song (after all, it did hit gold status). It just wasn't quite my cup of tea. 8: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (9) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it. 7: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (7) - They had been hitting the chart for nearly ten years but, oddly enough, this was their very first Top Ten hit. I preferred their later hits myself. 6: FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS (8) - This song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Give Me Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well. 5: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (5) - We all knew what number this song was at, since Casey mentioned it in the intro to "Nobody Does It Better" by Taylor's then-wife Carly Simon. My mom used to be able to play this song on her guitar, so I remember it quite well - a great song! 4: EASY - THE COMMODORES (4) - This song spent nearly the entire summer climbing the chart, peaking at #4 in late August. It held that same position this week. It was a great song - definitely when the Commodores' musical quality began noticeably improving IMO. 3: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (3) - Her first big hit - couldn't quite break up the fight for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions, but still managed to sneak in a week at #2. This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard. 2: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (2) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 the following week, it decided that three weeks weren't quite enough and made an encore appearance at the top. It went on to become AT40's #1 song of 1977. 1: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS (1) - Casey talked about five instances when a different song with the same title as a former #1 song also hit #1. Two and a half years before, the Eagles topped the chart with their "Best Of My Love". The Emotions continued their reign for the third of five weeks. Of course, I preferred this song, since the Eagles song was a melancholy song about a dying relationship while the Emotions song was a fun, upbeat song about a love affair that was strong and flourishing.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 2, 2022 12:45:40 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 2, 2022
This week's presentation - September 4, 1982
Droppers: DON'T YOU WANT ME - HUMAN LEAGUE (32) - Wow, this one lasted a long time, didn't it? Spent 21 weeks in the Top 40, three of them at #1. 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! TAINTED LOVE - SOFT CELL (31) - Speaking of chart longevity, this one was the champ for chart longevity for quite a long time - spent a total of 43 weeks on the Hot 100! This song's OK, but quite overplayed. No huge loss, to be honest. LET IT WHIP - THE DAZZ BAND (27) - This song spent five weeks atop the soul chart in early summer, and got as high as #5 on the AT40 chart. It was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
LW#3: ABRACADABRA – THE STEVE MILLER BAND LW#2: HURTS SO GOOD – JOHN COUGAR LW#1: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR 40: LOVE OR LET ME BE LONELY - PAUL DAVIS (40) - Third Single Syndrome definitely applied here, as "Cool Night" and "'65 Love Affair" both hit the Top 20, but this is all the further this song got. Too bad, as this was a great song (though I preferred the original by Friends Of Distinction, which hit #6 in 1970). 39: GLORIA - LAURA BRANIGAN (debut) - Here's a song that got quite a lot of mileage on the chart! Spent 22 weeks in the Top 40, and 36 weeks on the Hot 100. It was a great song - one that has aged quite well. 38: LET ME GO - RAY PARKER JR. (38) - He usually did songs that were upbeat, but he went with a slow jam this time around. Apparently, most of his fans preferred his fast and mid-tempo songs, as this song didn't get past #38. It was a pretty good song, IMO. 37: I RAN - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (debut) - The first (and biggest) of three hits by this English new wave and synthpop band. I liked all three songs, but I'm not sure which one I liked best. LDD: FOLLOW YOU, FOLLOW ME - GENESIS - Their very first Top 40 hit, though I never really cared much for it. 36: SOMEDAY, SOMEWAY - MARSHALL CRENSHAW (36) - The only Top 40 hit for this Detroit native, but his only hit was indeed a great song! 35: NEVER BEEN IN LOVE - RANDY MEISNER (39) - One of several former members from the Eagles gone solo. Of his Top 40 hits, this one was possibly my favorite - has that MOR sound typical of the early 80s. 34: VALLEY GIRL - FRANK & MOON ZAPPA (debut) - Interesting that it took his hip 14-year old daughter to help him get his first Top 40 hit. Though kind of silly, I actually kinda liked this song, especially Moon Unit's dialogue. "Oh my GAWD!" "Ugh, gag me with a sp00n!" However, I'm wondering what possessed Frank to name his daughter Moon Unit? I bet she became the butt of many jokes (no pun intended). OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - DOLLY PARTON - Of course, most Top 40 fans associate this song with Whitney Houston, but Dolly Parton was the one who wrote it, and charted with it twice, in 1974 and again in 1982. It didn't hit the Top 40 in either run, but it was indeed a huge country song. I like both versions about the same, only in different ways. 33: OUT OF WORK - GARY U.S. BONDS (21) - You can definitely tell that this one is a Springsteen song (even has Clarence Clemons wailing away on the sax). It's a great song, and one with a very timely message, what with the high unemployment rate nowadays. 32: DO YOU WANNA TOUCH ME - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (37) - She indeed had a great year in 1982, with her rock and roll anthem, one of the biggest hits of the year, and her Top Ten remake of "Crimson And Clover". This song didn't do quite as well, but did hit the Top 20. I wasn't a big fan of this song, however. 31: WHAT'S FOREVER FOR - MICHAEL MURPHEY (35) - Chiefly a country artist, Murphey had several pop crossovers. His biggest was "Wild Fire", a #3 hit in 1985, but this was second biggest hit, peaking at #19 for five weeks. It is also my favorite of his crossover hits - a great song indeed! 30: HOLD ON - SANTANA (34) - Carlos Santana definitely had his best chart success during his comeback around the turn of the century - especially at Hot AC radio. I liked a lot of those songs, as overplayed as they were, but they didn't hold a candle to this song - possibly my favorite Santana song of all time! 29: ROSANNA - TOTO (20) - This song couldn't get any higher than #2, but it became their biggest hit overall (especially on the R&R chart, where it spent a month on top). It was a good song that still gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. 28: I KEEP FORGETTIN' - MICHAEL McDONALD (33) - REGULATORS!!! Mount up! Well, at least that would be the song that, twelve years later, sampled this song, which was a great song and showed that Michael McDonald was good as a solo artist as well as lead singer of the Doobie Brothers. 27: LET ME TICKLE YOUR FANCY - JERMAINE JACKSON (30) - Meh, I was never a big fan of this one - possibly my least favorite songs of his. 26: HOT IN THE CITY - BILLY IDOL (28) - 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. 25: KIDS IN AMERICA - KIM WILDE (25) - You can tell that this was 1982 when songs were spending weeks and weeks at their peak position, like this song, which was in its fourth week at #25. This song was pretty good, but I preferred “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”, and especially her Top 40 near-miss “You Came” from 1988. 24: SOMEBODY'S BABY - JACKSON BROWNE (29) - They played kind of a weird version of this song - one that had less guitar in it (most notable in the instrumental bridge and near the end). Anyway, it was definitely one of my favorite Jackson Browne songs. 23: BLUE EYES - ELTON JOHN (26) - Interesting story about John's fancy Monopoly game, with sterling silver houses and gold hotels! As for the song, it was a good one, but I preferred his song from earlier in the year, "Empty Garden" (which was heard on several 1982 shows earlier this year). 22: AND I'M TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING - JENNIFER HOLLIDAY (22) - Sort of an operatic song here. I kind of liked it, though it definitely sounded out of place on this show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GYPSY - FLEETWOOD MAC - This song hit #1 on the R&R chart, yet missed the Top Ten on the Hot 100 (and didn't spend very long on the Hot 100). Must have been a poor seller. 21: ONLY TIME WILL TELL - ASIA (24) - Their second of two hits this band put into the Top 20 during 1982. It was also my favorite of the two (though the other song, "Heat Of The Moment", was a great one too. 20: YOU CAN DO MAGIC - AMERICA (23) - A comeback hit for them in two different ways - their first Top Ten hit since 1975, when "Sister Golden Hair" hit #1, and their first Top 40 since 1976, when they peaked at #23 with "Today's The Day". This one would hit #8 a little less than two months later. It was one of their best hits, IMO, and one I remember quite well back in the day! 19: ONLY THE LONELY - THE MOTELS (19) - Odd that this song was pausing on its way down the chart (it would catch up with them the following week, when the song tumbled all the way down to #83!). I liked all four of the Motels' Top 40 hits a lot, as well as her low-charting solo hit "Don't Tell Me The Time" in early 1988. 18: KEEP THE FIRE BURNIN' - REO SPEEDWAGON (7) - Their only upbeat song to make the Billboard Top Ten (as all of their other Top Ten hits were power ballads). I liked this song, but preferred their next release, "Sweet Time". 17: THINK I'M IN LOVE - EDDIE MONEY (17) - His first Top 40 hit in nearly three and a half years. This one was in holding pattern this week, but managed to climb a spot higher a few weeks later. It was a good song, though I preferred several others from him (such as "Maybe I'm A Fool", "Endless Nights" and "After This Love Is Gone", among others. 16: AMERICAN MUSIC - THE POINTER SISTERS (16) - Earlier in the year, they charted with "Should I Do It", which had sort of a sixties sound to it. This one also had such a sound and, like the first one, it made the Top 20. I preferred the one from earlier in 1982. 15: WHO CAN IT BE NOW - MEN AT WORK (18) - This one, along with their other Business As Usual #1, "Down Under" are both way overplayed. Yet radio stations pretty much ignore any of the Cargo singles, which IMO are superior to the two #1s. 14: EYE IN THE SKY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (15) - 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. LDD: THE LEADER OF THE BAND – DAN FOGELBERG - This song became a popular LDD request, especially for dedications to fathers, like this one. It was very appropriate for the LDD and a great song, IMO. 13: LOVE WILL TURN YOU AROUND - KENNY ROGERS (13) - This song was in its second of five straight weeks at #13 (a very common occurrence for 1982), before falling out of the Top 40 from that peak (an even more common occurrence for 1982). The song did manage to hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, which is good, since this is one of my favorite songs from Kenny Rogers! 12: LOVE IS IN CONTROL - DONNA SUMMER (12) - Now this song had an odd run on the chart, even by 1982 standards. The song looked like it was peaking at #12, then it surprised everyone by moving up to #11 the following week, and then #10 the week after, before falling clean out of the Top 40, defying the "more than one week at its peak" rule. I'm wondering if they fudged around with the chart somewhat so this song wouldn't just miss the Top Ten. More on that at #10. As for my opinion of this song, I wasn't a big fan of it - sounded a little like something the Jacksons would do - in fact, when I first heard this song, I thought that's who it was. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEART ATTACK - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - This song held the distinction of making the biggest move within the Top 40 during the 1980s, moving 39-13, during a period of 1982 when there were many notably large chart jumps. Oddly enough, this song never hit #1 - instead, it spent the entire month of November at #3. 11: JACK AND DIANE - JOHN COUGAR (14) - This is another song that I used to like back in the day before overplay pretty much did it in. I definitely preferred his other song in the countdown this week. 10: TAKE IT AWAY - PAUL MCCARTNEY (10) - Earlier, I mentioned how I suspected that "Love Is In Control" was artificially moved up into the Top Ten. The fact that this song, which peaked at #10 for five weeks, dropped back only one spot. I'm thinking that, with the rule that was in place, it would have spend another week at #10. But who knows - that's just speculation and nothing more. Anyway, I really liked this song - one of my favorite of Sir Paul's solo hits. 9: WASTED ON THE WAY - CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH (9) - The week before, the entire Top 14 was in holding position. Unsurprisingly, there were a few songs that were still holding still, like this one, at its peak of #9 for a third week. As for this song, it's possibly my favorite of their hits (though "Just A Song Before I Go" would be an extremely close second). 8: VACATION - THE GO-GO'S (8) - Another song holding the same position for three weeks in a row (and like the CS&N song, it was at its peak). I prefer this song over "We Got The Beat" by a fair margin, but it's not quite as good as "Alex The Seal" "Our Lips Are Sealed". 7: HURTS SO GOOD - JOHN COUGAR (2) - The first song in the Top Ten so far NOT in holding pattern, though it was stuck at #2 for the past four weeks. As I said, I preferred this song over "Jack And Diane". Unlike that song, this one has held up quite well despite overplay. EXTRA: SHOW ME – JOE TEX - We just lost him two weeks before... 6: YOU SHOULD HEAR HOW SHE TALKS ABOUT YOU - MELISSA MANCHESTER (11) - With the stagnant charts of late, you can probably guess that there weren't a lot of big jumps, which is absolutely right. This was one of four songs this week that move up five spots (kind of a surprise it happened way up in the Top Ten, given the state of that chart zone the previous month). This was a good song, although sounds a little like a note you’d find in a middle school girls’ notebook. 5: EVEN THE NIGHTS ARE BETTER - AIR SUPPLY (6) - Ah, this is the song that holds the undesirable record for the song that took the longest fall out of the Top 40. Three weeks later, this would fall from #6 to #42 (but you already knew that, right?) Anyway, this was one of their best songs, IMO. 4: HOLD ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (4) - And we're back to the songs that are in holding pattern. This one, however, set a record for the longest peak at #4 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). 3: HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO (5) - It looked like this song was going to peak at #5, a position it held for the past four weeks, but it managed to rise above the competition and went all the way to #1 the following week. This was their comeback hit after they took a four-year hiatus from recording following the accidental shooting death of their drummer Terry Kath in 1978, and it turned out to be one of their biggest hits ever. As you probably know all too well, 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ATHENA - THE WHO - Their sixteenth and, as it turned out, final Top 40 hit, peaking at #28 in late October. The song was OK, but I preferred a few of their earlier hits (i.e. "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Squeeze Box" and "You Better You Bet". 2: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR (1) - This song held the most desirable place to be stuck for the past six weeks - the coveted top spot! This would go on to become 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. 1: ABRACADABRA - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (3) - It was beginning to look like this song would have to settle for a peak at #3, but the song had just the magic that it needed to break away from that spot which it had held for the entire month of August and became their third #1 song - I guess you could say it did a hat trick
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Post by Hervard on Sept 2, 2022 12:45:51 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 3, 2022
This week's presentation - September 6, 1986
Droppers: DANGER ZONE - KENNY LOGGINS (38) - He was indeed the king of movie soundtrack hits! Though a pretty good song, this was one of my least favorite of his movie hits. I remember seeing the movie 30 years ago, but it was definitely not one of the best movies that I saw that year. TAKEN IN - MIKE + THE MECHANICS (32) - Definitely one of their most underrated songs! This one deserved a much higher peak than #32, IMO - it should have been a Top Ten hit just like their other two hits from 1986! At least it did do well on the AC chart, peaking at #7. LOVE TOUCH - ROD STEWART (30) - Oddly enough, this song stayed on the R&R chart (as former Top Ten songs that were on their way down tended to be further down that chart than the Hot 100 back in the mid-80s). I liked this song, though it was definitely not his best. SLEDGEHAMMER - PETER GABRIEL (29) - Another song that was still on R&R (making a small drop, to boot, like "Love Touch"). This was frankly no big loss, IMO, as I am still burned out on this song, which continues to receive recurrent airplay.
40: POINT OF NO RETURN - NU SHOOZ (debut) - This song definitely didn't measure up to the success of their first hit "I Can't Wait", which is a shame, because I preferred this song. 39: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER (debut) - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 38: THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - WHAM! (17) - This was a bittersweet song for Wham! fans - their final Top 40 hit. But at least it was one of their best, IMO, anyway. George Michael, who was pretty much the voice of Wham! anyway, went on to have an even more successful career, so it really didn't make much of a difference. 37: A MATTER OF TRUST - BILLY JOEL (debut) - This song had been out for quite awhile, so I was thinking this song wouldn't get too far. But the Columbia record label apparently heavily promoted this song, as it managed to hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but I preferred the next release, "This Is The Time". 36: HEARTBEAT - DON JOHNSON (debut) - The first chart hit for Sonny Crockett (and actually, his only solo hit, as his other Top 40 hit would be his duet with Babs "Till I Loved You". This was a great song - I remember hearing it all the time near the beginning of my freshman year in High School! 35: VELCRO FLY - ZZ TOP (35) - This song debuted at #35 the previous week, and that's where it peaked. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles; 34: MONEY'$ TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) - SIMPLY RED (40) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically. 33: LOVE WALKS IN - VAN HALEN (36) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. Another song that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22. 32: TWIST AND SHOUT - BEATLES (39) - Interesting story about how Paul and George's method of going to see Blackboard Jungle even though they were too young to get in, since it was playing at the theater past curfew. 31: ALL CRIED OUT - LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (37) - Here's another song that takes me back to my freshman year! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts. LDD: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - JOURNEY - This song became a somewhat popular LDD request. It definitely fit this dedication! Despite overplay, this song still sounds great! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEET LOVE - ANITA BAKER - This was the first of four Top 40 hits from her. Larry mentioned that two of them were Top Ten hits, but one of them didn't miss by too much, peaking at #14 (and it DID manage to sneak in a week in the R&R Top Ten. That song, of course, was "Just Because", my favorite of her four chart hits. This song was pretty good too. 30: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (33) - Another hit from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was, but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds, on someone's radio. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night". 29: OH, PEOPLE - PATTI LABELLE (31) - This song was definitely riding on the coattails of LaBelle's recent duet with Michael McDonald, as this was all the higher it got. In fact, it dropped out of the Top 40 the following week, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song! 28: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (34) - Interesting story about how this song came about. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however. At least we heard my favorite song of theirs on last week's 1985 show. 27: YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) - JEFFREY OSBORNE (21) - This would have been a great song if not for the dumb title, and the "Can you woo woo woo" choruses. I preferred many other songs from him, like "On The Wings Of Love" and "Don't You Get So Mad". 26: PRESS - PAUL McCARTNEY (28) - Despite its huge eleven-spot jump the previous week, the song made a more modest two-spot climb this week. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings. 25: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (27) - This song's three-week trend matched that of "Press", first moving up 11 spots, then two. This song, however, would fare much better on the chart than the Paul McCartney song, which would peak at #21 a few weeks later, while this song was en route to peaking at #4. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch. 24: WHEN I THINK OF YOU - JANET JACKSON (26) - Wow, this must have been a tight spot in the chart, as this song also moved up a mere two spots, even though it would eventually go all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era. 23: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW - THE MONKEES (20) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which peaked at #20 the week before. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the summer of 1986 (rather than my freshman year, by which time radio stations weren't playing this much anymore). 22: TWO OF HEARTS - STACEY Q (25) - Meh, I don't care for this one at all (especially all the "ah-ahah-ahah, I need you" crap). 21: WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF - JERMAINE STEWART (11) - Of course, this was the late Jermaine Stewart's anthem about abstinence. It was my favorite of his two Top 40 hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO - This song just narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten, which is too bad, as it was one of their best songs ever, IMO. 20: MAD ABOUT YOU - BELINDA CARLISLE (10) - Now that the Go-Go's were gone-gone, several members of the band embarked on solo careers. This was the first of six solo Top 40 hits by the lead singer. It was pretty good, but I remember hating it back in the day. I still prefer most of her other Top 40 hits. 19: YANKEE ROSE - DAVID LEE ROTH (16) - This was another song that I didn't care much for back in the day, though I did like David's conversation with his guitar at the beginning of the song. Other than that... 18: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM "THE KARATE KID PART II") - PETER CETERA (12) - I preferred the first Karate Kid movie over the second (but that could be because I've only seen the second once while I've watched the first one multiple times). The song, however, was a great one - possibly my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit ever! 17: CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (24) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, according to Casey, this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing. 16: MAN SIZE LOVE - KLYMAXX (19) - Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx. I did notice a bad edit near the end - the song seemed to slow way down as Casey outrode the song. Not sure what the deal was there. 15: LOVE ZONE - BILLY OCEAN (22) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. 14: DREAMTIME - DARYL HALL (23) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one. 13: DON'T FORGET ME (WHEN I'M GONE) - GLASS TIGER (18) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second). 12: RUMOURS - TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (8) - This song was doing sort of a yo-yo routine over the past few weeks, moving 10-8-9-8-12. Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often. 11: BABY LOVE - REGINA (14) - I'm sure there were a few folks wondering if this song had peaked the previous week, as it was stalled out at #14. It got a second wind this week, which was good, because it was a great song! 10: WALK THIS WAY - RUN-D.M.C. (15) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, but back when this was on the charts, I did not like it, but in retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - EDDIE MONEY f/RONNIE SPECTOR - Well, that's how the credits would read nowadays, right? Anyway, I was not a fan of this song - one of my least favorites by Eddie Money (I did like the two follow-ups, though). 9: PAPA DON'T PREACH - MADONNA (3) - Meh, I liked many of Madge's hits, but this was definitely not one of them! 8: WORDS GET IN THE WAY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (13) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. LDD: MISSING YOU - DIANA ROSS - Wow, this was a very moving LDD! I sure hope that the writer got her life back on track and got her kids back. This song indeed fit the dedication! 7: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM "RUNNING SCARED") - MICHAEL MCDONALD (7) - Well, I never saw the movie, but I definitely remember the song. It was a great one, like most of McDonald's solo hits. 6: STUCK WITH YOU - HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (9) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the week before and were on their way to their second (I was pretty sure right off the bat that this would be a #1, based on their super-high debut on the R&R chart at #21). This would log three weeks on top - one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year. 5: FRIENDS AND LOVERS - GLORIA LORING & CARL ANDERSON (6) - I did like the country cover version of this by Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton that was climbing the country chart about this time in 1986, but I was definitely getting tired of this version, as the radio stations I was listening to were playing this song to death. Now that we rarely hear it anymore, it's good to hear every now and again. 4: DANCING ON THE CEILING - LIONEL RICHIE (5) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over. As for the song, it's pretty good, but definitely not his best song. 3: HIGHER LOVE - STEVE WINWOOD (1) - Meh, the only good thing about this song is the fact that it dropped out of the top spot. Not that the song that replaced it is much better. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME - BON JOVI - I mentioned earlier that this song and "All Cried Out" took turns at hitting the top spot on U93's nightly request countdown. Of course, I preferred the latter, but this song wasn't bad either. This song would end up going all the way to #1 on AT40 in late November. 2: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (LOVE THEME FROM "TOP GUN") - BERLIN (4) - This was the third single from Top Gun that hit the Top 40 (in the order of being mentioned in this critique, anyway). It was a good song, but my favorite song from the Top Gun soundtrack was the album cut "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick. Too bad that wasn't released as a single. 1: VENUS - BANANARAMA (2) - As mentioned earlier, I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour".
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Post by mga707 on Sept 2, 2022 13:45:29 GMT -5
LDD: FOLLOW YOU, FOLLOW ME - GENESIS - Their very first Top 40 hit, though I never really cared much for it. An interesting choice for her LDD, I thought. Not an obvious one after a near-death experience. Poor girl really got hit with 'bad juju' while climbing Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) in Australia's Northern Territory. Climbing the rock, sacred to the native population, hasn't been permitted since 2019. Luckily for her she wasn't one of at least 37 fatalities resulting from attempting to climb the geologic formation, known as an 'inselberg' or 'island mountain'. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru See 'climbing' section.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 2, 2022 13:57:02 GMT -5
"Valley Girl" would go on to peak at # 32-However,it was a bigger hit on "The Dr.Demento Show"-"Valley Girl" was one of the most popular songs on his weekly Funny Five countdown.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 2, 2022 14:48:08 GMT -5
"Somebody's Baby"was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" which opened in theatres forty years ago this week-Sean Penn,who played stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli,was the film's breakout star.
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Post by mga707 on Sept 2, 2022 14:55:23 GMT -5
"Somebody's Baby"was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" which opened in theatres forty years ago this week-Sean Penn,who played stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli,was the film's breakout star. Gotta dig out that soundtrack CD and play it this weekend to honor the 40th anniversary. Phoebe Cates and Jennifer Jason Leigh--mmmm!
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 3, 2022 18:27:00 GMT -5
Phoebe Cates is quite the hottie in "Ridgemont High".
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 3, 2022 18:32:32 GMT -5
Devo sang background vocals on Jermaine Jackson's hit "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy".
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