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Post by mga707 on Dec 13, 2022 0:18:07 GMT -5
>3: SAY YOU, SAY ME – LIONEL RICHIE (5) - Quite a few movie hits on this week's chart. This was the first of two from White Nights. I liked it, but I preferred the other by a considerable margin. 2: SEPARATE LIVES (THEME FROM “WHITE NIGHTS”) – PHIL COLLINS AND MARILYN MARTIN (2) - Wow, the two White Nights songs were back-to-back on the charts (in fact, they almost hit #1 consecutively, but not quite). Anyway, this is the love theme from the movie, which I never saw, but I heard the song many, many times in the fall of 1985. It was a great one!< I can't think of another movie that generated two such huge hit songs but wasn't that big of a box office draw, at least in my recollection. And yes, Separate Lives is a great song and great record. Personally, I think both Phil and Lionel have had much better #1 hits than either of these. But you're quite right about the movie being a pretty big flop despite the two #1s from it. Can't think of another either. Closest would be everyone's favorite, "YLUML", from the cinematic bomb of the same name. But that was just one huge hit, not two.
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Post by doofus67 on Dec 13, 2022 13:32:30 GMT -5
>3: SAY YOU, SAY ME – LIONEL RICHIE (5) - Quite a few movie hits on this week's chart. This was the first of two from White Nights. I liked it, but I preferred the other by a considerable margin. 2: SEPARATE LIVES (THEME FROM “WHITE NIGHTS”) – PHIL COLLINS AND MARILYN MARTIN (2) - Wow, the two White Nights songs were back-to-back on the charts (in fact, they almost hit #1 consecutively, but not quite). Anyway, this is the love theme from the movie, which I never saw, but I heard the song many, many times in the fall of 1985. It was a great one!< I can't think of another movie that generated two such huge hit songs but wasn't that big of a box office draw, at least in my recollection. And yes, Separate Lives is a great song and great record. Personally, I think both Phil and Lionel have had much better #1 hits than either of these. But you're quite right about the movie being a pretty big flop despite the two #1s from it. Can't think of another either. Closest would be everyone's favorite, "YLUML", from the cinematic bomb of the same name. But that was just one huge hit, not two. How about "Buster," starring none other than Phil Collins? It generated two #1s as well ("Groovy Kind of Love" and "Two Hearts"), and honestly, I don't recall even seeing a promo for it.
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Post by mga707 on Dec 13, 2022 13:36:35 GMT -5
Personally, I think both Phil and Lionel have had much better #1 hits than either of these. But you're quite right about the movie being a pretty big flop despite the two #1s from it. Can't think of another either. Closest would be everyone's favorite, "YLUML", from the cinematic bomb of the same name. But that was just one huge hit, not two. How about "Buster," starring none other than Phil Collins? That's right--two Phil #1s from it. "Buster" probably did better B.O. in the UK than over here.
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Post by Hervard on Dec 16, 2022 14:02:43 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - December 17, 2022
This week's presentation - December 19, 1987
DROPPERS: BRILLIANT DISGUISE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (40) - Of his two 1987 hits, this was definitely my favorite. His other one, from his live greatest hits album, was a mediocre cover of a mediocre song, IMO. I DON'T MIND AT ALL - BOURGEOIS TAGG (39) - Eric Tagg had a few gigs as a featured singer, such as Lee Ritenour's 1981 hit "Is It You", and Brent Bourgeois would have his own Top 40 hit in the spring of 1990 with "Dare To Fall In Love", and they both teamed up for their sole Top 40 hit as a duet here. The song only got as high as #38, which I thought was a shame, but the song was a little ahead of its time; had it been released around 1995 or so, it might have been a Top Ten hit. I WON'T FORGET YOU - POISON (34) - This song reminded me a little of "Missing You" by John Waite - and the subject matter wasn't all that different. I preferred most of their other hits, though this one wasn't bad either. I'VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE - CUTTING CREW (29) - Pretty much the only song from them we hear from this English band anymore is the tired, overplayed "(I Just) Died In Your Arms". I have heard this one on the radio a time or two in the past few years, though. It's a pretty good one. MONY MONY - BILLY IDOL (25) - One of two Tommy James covers that rode up the chart side by side. They debuted the same week, hit the Top Ten the same week, and came so close to dropping off the same week as well (But Tiffany's song managed to hang on tuis week). They were #1 back-to-back as well. This was my favorite of the two - especially the live version. IIRC, two weeks before, Charlie Van Dyke told the story about Idol being the first act represented by the letter I hitting #1?
40: POP GOES THE WORLD – MEN WITHOUT HATS (debut) - This was a cool, fun song. I liked it better than “The Safety Dance”, including the single version. 39: DON’T SHED A TEAR – PAUL CARRACK (debut) - He'd had top 40 success as the lead singer of bands like Ace and Mike + The Mechanics, and he even had a few solo hits. This was a good song, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with said bands. 38: HOURGLASS - SQUEEZE (26) - Their near-miss from 1981, "Tempted" seems to be the only song from them that we hear anymore. Paul Carrack sang lead on that one, but had left the group by the time this song came around. The lead singer on this one reminds me of Paul McCartney. I liked this song - it had a very catchy chorus! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS (FEED THE WORLD) - BAND AID - Very interesting story about the big difference that Bob Geldof made with this song (as it inspired other benefit songs/concerts to help the starving people in Africa). This was a great song for a great cause! 37: I LIVE FOR YOUR LOVE – NATALIE COLE (debut) - She'd been absent from the charts for most of the 80s as she battled drug and alcohol abuse, but her comeback was certainly no fluke, as this song proved, since it was a Top 20 hit like her comeback hit "Jump Start". Like most of her ballads, I thought this was a great one - definitely in my Top Five of my favorite songs from her, right up there with "Miss You Like Crazy" and "When I Fall In Love" (her own version which was on the same album as this song). 36: MOTORTOWN – THE KANE GANG (debut) - The sole Top 40 hit from this British soul-styled trio. Too bad this was all the higher the song got. 35: TUNNEL OF LOVE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (debut) - The second of three singles released here in the States from the album of the same name. It was a good song, IMO, though I preferred "Brilliant Disguise" by a slight margin. 34: TRUE FAITH – NEW ORDER (37) - This English band had several big club hits ("Blue Monday" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" come to mind), but this was their first song to crack the Top 40. It was a good one, but it sure had an unusual chart run - did what Casey referred to as a "yo-yo routine". 33: I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW - TIFFANY (23) - I wasn't a big fan of this remake. This was likely my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. "Could've Been" was far superior, IMO. 32: HUNGRY EYES (FROM “DIRTY DANCING”) – ERIC CARMEN (36) - The first of two Dirty Dancing hits on the chart this week. This was definitely my least favorite of the two. Not sure why; this song just never did anything for me. 31: I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN - ROGER (35) - I always found this a tad annoying. I can stomach a listen to it once in awhile, but wouldn't like to hear it everyday (like I did back in early 1988). I'm guessing that this one was edited, as I stepped away from the radio shortly after the lyrics started, and when I got back, which couldn't have been more than a minute later, they were already in commercial break. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER - his was Cher's first Top 40 hit since "Take Me Home", which peaked at #8 in May, 1979. It was the beginning of one of the most successful comebacks of all time, as she had some of her biggest hits during the late 80s and the 1990s. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred her later songs such as "Just Like Jesse James", "Save Up All Your Tears" and "Believe" to name a few. 30: SKELETONS – STEVIE WONDER (21) - This became Stevie Wonder's eighteenth #1 on the Black Singles chart, putting him in second place by himself. Not sure if he equalled or surpassed Aretha Franklin's record of 20 #1's - I'm thinking probably not. As for the song, it's pretty good, but sounds suspiciously like "Freedom Overspill" by another Stev(i)e whose last name also begins with W - coincidence? You decide! 29: I DO YOU – THE JETS (20) - A song whose title could be misconstrued, LOL! As for my opinion of the song, it's nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to, and it is certainly not an ideal song to be placed before a sad LDD, which was the case three weeks earlier. 28: POWER OF LOVE – LAURA BRANIGAN (31) - This was the third version of this song to hit the Hot 100, but only the first to crack the Top 40. It is a good one, though I prefer the album version, instead of the single edit that was usually played on AT40, though I guess not as much is taken out as I once thought; the only things absent from the long version (which was played on the show two weeks before), is the second chorus and the bridge. It's just, after hearing Celine Dion's #1 hit version from 1994 multiple times, the edited version sounds like it is very short, although its playing time is, in fact, about the average duration of a typical 1987 song. 27: CRAZY - ICEHOUSE (30) - The first of two Top 20 hits for this six-member Aussie band. I thought that both this and "Electric Blue" were great songs; I liked them about the same. 26: I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MAN - PRINCE (33) - Not sure if I prefer this version or Jordan Knight’s ballad version of the song, which charted in the summer of 1999. Both are great songs in their own ways. 25: THE ONE I LOVE – R.E.M. (12) - The first Top 40 hit for this rock band from Athens, GA, headed up by Michael Stipe. This one had a little hint of folk music to it. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their 90s hits. LDD: HARD HABIT TO BREAK - CHICAGO - Peter Cetera generally sang lead by himself on Chicago's songs from the mid-70s up until his departure from Chicago in 1985, but he actually shared lead vocals with Bill Champlin on this one. It was a great one - far and away my favorite song from the Chicago 17 album! 24: COULD’VE BEEN - TIFFANY (38) - As her lame Tommy James cover was spending its final week in the Top 40, this one was burning up the charts. I'd been hearing this song on Chicago station B96 for over a month, and I kept hoping that it would soon hit the charts, which, of course, it did - in a major way might I add; just like her first hit, it went to #1 - in fact, its first week at the top was on the chart dated January 29, 1988 - my sixteenth birthday, so that was a great birthday present for me! 23: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (33) - This song took a pretty hefty chart jump this week as well. This was a rare instance where the final song from an album turns out to be the most successful (I seem to remember this happening a few other times over the next year, by acts like the Jets and Richard Marx). Anyway, this would be my second favorite release from their Exposure album behind "Point Of No Return". 22: THERE’S THE GIRL - HEART (27) - This was a somewhat rare (at the time, anyway) on which Nancy Wilson sang lead (IIRC, this was the second chart hit on which she handled the lead vocals, but I could be wrong). It was pretty good, but I preferred their other two Top 40 hits from Bad Animals (not sure how the fourth one, "I Want You So Bad" goes, since it never hit the Top 40). 21: ANIMAL – DEF LEPPARD (24) - Ah, the first Top 40 hit from their behemoth album Hysteria (the first release, "Women" had fallen way short, peaking at #80 in early September). I wonder if the song would have done better had they decided to re-release it after the album became a huge hit - I'm guessing probably not, as the last hit from the album, "Rocket" sounded a lot like "Women" and they figured it would be best to put out a new track instead of chancing the re-release flopping (and I certainly doubt they'd release "Women" right after "Rocket" due to said similarity). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER - Tell you what, I liked most of their material, but for some reason, I never really got into this song. 20: HAZY SHADE OF WINTER – THE BANGLES (28) - This one wasn't bad (I do prefer it over "Walk Like An Egyptian"), but I prefer many other songs by the Bangles. 19: THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT – MICHAEL BOLTON (19) - This was the first of many Top 40 hits that Michael would chalk up over the next ten or so years. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs from him! 18: CANDLE IN THE WIND – ELTON JOHN (22) - This was one of three versions of this song that I've heard, and my least favorite. I much prefer the original studio version, which Chicago's Z95 played in place of this live version. I wonder if we'll hear the January 30, 1988 show in early 2023, on which AT40 played the original version. 17: (I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE – BILL MEDLEY AND JENNIFER WARNES (4) - Dirty Dancing fever was just getting started, with this song, which I like, but for some reason, I hated it with a passion when it was on its way up the chart. Probably because of the overplay, but I never liked it in the first place. Now I think it's a good one, though I wouldn't want to hear it on a regular basis. 16: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (18) - The first of four Top 40 hits from what would become their best singles album, Kick. I wasn't a huge fan of it, or INXS in general, but they did have a few songs that I liked (this just wasn't one of them). 15: TELL IT TO MY HEART – TAYLOR DAYNE (15) - This song was stalled out this week, but it was not done yet, as the song would eventually peak at #7. Like the Tiffany song back at #24, I had been hearing this one on Chicago's B96 about a month before it hit the chart. Based on the opening synth notes, I thought this sounded like a dance version of Glenn Frey's "The One You Love". This was probably my favorite song from her debut album. 14: DUDE (LOOKS LIKE A LADY) - AEROSMITH (14) - Another song in holding pattern - must have been a tight spot on the chart, although this was all the further the song got. Anyway, I recall a somewhat humorous event tied to this song. Three weeks before, my stepmother was taking us to see a movie and on the way there, this song was playing and my younger stepsisters, who had never heard the song before, were laughing at the title. It wasn't a bad song, but I preferred the next release, "Angel", which hit the Top 40 a month later and would go on to become Aerosmith's biggest hit (up to that point, that is). 13: CHERRY BOMB – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (16) - The second single from "The Lonesome Jubilee", and, like the first one, it would hit the Top Ten. Another song that I hated back in the day, but now I think it's a good one. LDD: YOU ARE MY LADY – FREDDIE JACKSON - Wow, the LDDs on this week's show were pretty heavy. The first one dealt with a girl who was very close with her half-brother and having to be out of his life in order to leave a toxic relationship (which she shared with her mother), and this one was about a man who lost his wife to cancer, and this was the last song they danced to on their final night out. Jackson had the most success on the R&B chart, but he did have a few pop crossovers, like this one (which we just heard on last week's 1985 show). I liked it, though it was a little cheesy. My favorite song from him would probably be his Christmas song "One Wish". 12: SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER – RICHARD MARX (3) - I often compare this song to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" since they both sound alike. I prefer the Kenny Loggins song, but this is also a great one - my favorite from his self-titled album. I could tell that they were going to cut out the second verse, due to the sloppy edit during the first chorus - anyone else catch that? 11: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL – MICHAEL JACKSON (17) - He was on a roll, cranking out #1 hit after #1 hit from the Bad album. This was one of the two songs from the album that had a relatively long chart run (as the others besides this and "Man In The Mirror" seemed to zip up and down the chart). I like this song, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, since I hated this song back then - I referred to it as a "dicky song" in my journal entry when this song was #1. Now I think it's a good song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERYWHERE - FLEETWOOD MAC - This was the fourth of five singles released from Tango In The Night and the final one to hit the Top 40 (the fifth, "Family Man" only got as high as #90), and my second favorite of the singles, behind "Seven Wonders". I'm surprised that, in the wake of the recent passing of Christine McVie, whom sang lead on this song, that they didn't change the intro to pay tribute to her. 10: WE’LL BE TOGETHER - STING (8) - The first hit from Sting's second solo album Nothing Like The Sun. It wasn't bad, but not quite his best. I preferred many songs on his other solo albums. 9: VALERIE – STEVE WINWOOD (12) - A song that originally charted in 1982, when it was released from Winwood's album Talking Back To The Night, but it didn't quite make the Top 40. But it became a Top Ten hit its second time around, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 8: CATCH ME (I’M FALLING) (FROM THE FILM “HIDING OUT”) – PRETTY POISON (11) - This song was one of three Top 40 hits from movie Hiding Out, during the skating rink scene. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the other two hits that the soundtrack spawned, especially "Live My Life" by Boy George, which I thought was totally underrated. The third single, BTW, was "You Don't Know" by Scarlett & Black, which I just found out a few years ago. 7: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH – BELINDA CARLISLE (2) - Two weeks before, this song was in a tie with "We Got The Beat" as her biggest hit, solo or with the Go-Go's, such was the case with the latter. Of course, the following week, this song would beat that song out (no pun intended). It's a great song; my second favorite from the Heaven On Earth album, behind "I Get Weak". 6: DON’T YOU WANT ME – JODY WATLEY (9) - She seems to have pairs of songs that sound alike. Her next hit, "Some Kind Of Lover" sounds a lot like this one (and "Real Love" is a dead ringer for "Looking For A New Love"). I thought this song was pretty good. 5: GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU – GEORGE HARRISON (10) - This was George's first hit in over six years, and he picked up right where he left off, as this was a big hit like his last one before this (only this one went to #1 on the Hot 100). I liked the song when it first came out, but to this day, I'm still a tad burned out on it due to overplay. 4: SHAKE YOUR LOVE – DEBBIE GIBSON (6) - I like most of her hits, but always thought this one was a little too teenybopper sounding for my tastes. 3: SO EMOTIONAL – WHITNEY HOUSTON (7) - This would become Whitney's sixth number one in a row (limited to songs that hit the Hot 100, that is), setting a record. I liked this one, but much preferred the next release, which would extend her #1 streak to seven. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - RICK ASTLEY - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988 during the Casey Kasem era. This was my second favorite of the three two Top Ten singles from Rick's Whenever You Need Somebody album (remember - this and "Together Forever" were pretty much the same song). I also liked the title track, which was a #1 hit in his native England and I believe was on the dance charts in late 1988. 2: IS THIS LOVE - WHITESNAKE (5) - Their first two Top 40 hits from this English rock band were both mid-tempo ballads. I liked both of them about the same. 1: FAITH – GEORGE MICHAEL (1) - I liked many songs from George Michael, both with Wham! and solo, but this was definitely not one of them! This and "I Want Your Sex" were easily my least favorite of the singles from the Faith album!
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Post by Hervard on Dec 22, 2022 18:48:01 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - December 22, 2018
This week's presentation - December 20, 1975
THIS WILL BE - NATALIE COLE (34) - It's impossible not to think of the eHarmony.com commercials when hearing the intro to this song. It's not bad, but I prefer many others from her, mainly from the 80s and early 90s. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU - ART GARFUNKEL (28) - A classic golden oldie that has been covered many times over! This is one of the best renditions of it that I've ever heard. I'M ON FIRE - 5000 VOLTS (26) - The only hit for this British disco trio. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. I preferred Springsteen's 1985 hit of the same title by a fair margin. SECRET LOVE - FREDDY FENDER (20) - Kind of odd that this dropped off after moving up four spots the week before. As for the song - Freddy might sound better if he sang an octave lower. If not for his grating voice, this would be a really good song. EIGHTEEN WITH A BULLET - PETE WINGFIELD (19) - This song hit the #18 position on the Hot 100 - with a bullet - a few weeks before. It also was #18 on the R&R chart, but had lost its bullet by then. Due to the irony of the title, I would have bulleted the song just for the heck of it, even if it hadn't earned one that week - after all, the song would climb a spot higher the following week instead of dropping. As for the song, I wasn't a big fan of it - his voice sounds like someone kicked him in the nards.
40: WAKE UP EVERYBODY - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE-NOTES (debut) - The last of four songs that they charted with in the 1970s. It was a pretty good song. 39: FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN - THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (debut) - Until I heard this song on AT40 (I believe it was this same show, when it was played back in 2011), I assumed that this was a remake of the Grateful Dead concert favorite but, in fact, it was a completely different song altogether. Anyway, I thought this was a pretty good song, though I slightly preferred "Heard It In A Love Song". 38: BABYFACE - THE WING AND A PRAYER FIRE AND DRUM CORPS (debut) - This one had charted in some form or other for the past five decades in addition to this one. It was a good song. 37: SCHOOL BOY CRUSH - AVERAGE WHITE BAND (debut) - The fourth of five Top 40 hits for this London band. It’s okies, nothing I’d go out of my way to listen to. 36: VENUS AND MARS ROCK SHOW - WINGS (12) - One of five Top 40 songs they charted with in 1975 (including the double-sided "Junior's Farm/Sally G" as separate chart entries). It was OK, but my favorite of their 1975 hits was the number one "Listen To What The Man Said". 35: WINNERS AND LOSERS - HAMILTON, JOE FRANK, AND REYNOLDS (39) - They hit #1 back in August with "Fallin' In Love" and were trying for a second #1. Unfortunately, this song only got as high as #21 and was their final Top 40 hit. I thought it was a good song. 34: LOVE MACHINE - THE MIRACLES (38) - This song was on its way to becoming the slowest rising #1 song - up to that point, that is - it has since been beaten by several other songs. I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from them. 33: VOLARE - AL MARTINO (35) - The fourth version of this song to hit the chart. Originally done by Domenico Modugno, the song was covered by artists like Dean Martin and Bobby Rydell. This was actually a disco version of the song and, as weird as this may seem coming from someone not a big fan of disco, I actually preferred this version over the original. 32: OVER MY HEAD - FLEETWOOD MAC (36) - This legendary band had been around for many years, yet this was their first Top 40 hit. They'd more than make up for lost time over the next few years, though, with many hit singles from successive albums. Most of the songs seemed to feature Christine McVie on vocals, including this song, which was a good song IMO. 31: LOW RIDER - WAR (18) - Meh, not a huge fan of this song. Way too repetitive. 30: FULL OF FIRE - AL GREEN (31) - This one reminded me a little of Green's #1 song from exactly five years before, "Let's Stay Together". It was a good song. 29: FLY AWAY - JOHN DENVER (37) - As I've said many times before, I heard most of John Denver's songs when I was real little, since my Mom used to play his albums all the time, so I remember them quite well, including this one, which I really liked. What I never knew (until many years later) was that Olivia Newton-John sang back-up on this song. EXTRA: JINGLE BELL ROCK - BOBBY HELMS - Played as the second Optional Extra, this is an evergreen Christmas favorite. Listen to any station playing nonstop Christmas music for at least an hour, and I'll betcha you hear some version or other of this song. 28: EVIL WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (40) - Their second Top 40 hit (and like the first, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", it made the Top Ten). It was a good song, but I prefer a few others from them, including said first Top 40 hit. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES - With a rare lead vocal by Randy Meisner, this was the newest hit from their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album. It was also my favorite from that album - a great song indeed! 27: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY - DONNA SUMMER (debut) - I'm sorry, but a prolonged orgasm is not a song. 26: SING A SONG - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (33) - They had a pretty good year, with two Top 20 hits, including a #1, and a third song that would go on to hit #5 in early 1976. It was not bad, but I preferred many other songs from them. 25: ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT - KISS (30) - They hit the Top 40 for the first time with the live version of a song that had briefly charted on the Hot 100 earlier in the year. This song was one of their best rockers, IMO. Poison did a good remake of this song back in 1987. 24: YOU SEXY THING - HOT CHOCOLATE (32) - Meh, not a big fan of this song neither (but I do realize a lot of people were, as this was their biggest hit - it just never did anything for me, that's all). 23: PART TIME LOVE - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (27) - This definitely sounds like something Bread would record (as David Gates wrote it). This one was a great song - one of Knight's best songs - definitely underrated! 22: FOR THE LOVE OF YOU - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (23) - This song is a decent slow jam, but I prefer Jordan Hill's hit of the same name, which charted on the AC charts circa 1996 and is one of the songs on my YouTube playlist entitled "Favorite Songs". 21: WALK AWAY FROM LOVE - DAVID RUFFIN (25) - Of course, we all know he was the lead singer of the Temptations in the mid to late 1960s. He started a solo career in 1969 and had two Top Tens, both peaking at #9. This was the second of those songs and I thought it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred Ruffin's hits with the Temptations. 20: COUNTRY BOY (YOU'VE GOT YOUR FEET IN L.A.) - GLEN CAMPBELL (24) - The follow-up to Campbell's biggest hit ever, "Rhinestone Cowboy". This song, which sounds a little like that one, just narrowly missed the Top Ten in early 1976. I like these two songs about the same. 19: THE WAY I WANT TO TOUCH YOU - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (17) - I've noticed that this sounds like something Carole King would do (melodically, that is). While I do prefer it over the ad nauseum played "Love Will Keep Us Together" (not to mention the barf-inducing "Muskrat Love"), it's definitely not my favorite from them (that honor, of course, goes to "Do That To Me One More Time"). 18: THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON - DAVID GEDDES (22) - Well, this is definitely not anywhere near as annoying as the whinefest that was "Run Joey Run". The song is a salute to high school football and focuses on a junior varsity football player (who rarely, if ever sees action in varsity games) and his father, a blind man who sits next to the press box, where the speaker is located so he can hear the game even if he can't see it. 17: THE TIMES OF YOUR LIFE - PAUL ANKA (21) - This song is a tad on the cheesy side, but it's still not bad - very mellow and relaxing. 16: ISLAND GIRL - ELTON JOHN (16) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting the top. 1975 was sure one of Elton's best years, as he had several big albums, two of which debuted at #1, as well as three number one hits (though only this song was from one of said albums (Rock Of The Westies)), and a Top Five hit from still a different album, Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy), that year. Of his #1 1975 songs, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is my favorite, this would definitely be a close second, as it is a great song as well! 15: I WANT TO DO SOMETHING FREAKY TO YOU - LEON HAYWOOD (15) - Meh, not really my cup of tea... 14: CONVOY - C.W. McCALL (29) - His first Top 40 hit just made it by the skin of its teeth, but this song, on the other hand, went all the way to the top! Great song - one of the best truckin' song ever! 13: MY LITTLE TOWN - SIMON & GARFUNKEL (9) - From the time that this song debuted in the 40 to this week, Garfunkel was on the chart in two different configurations - with his rendition of "I Only Have Eyes For You" and here with his former singing partner, who was between singles at the time, so they just missed being on the chart as a duet and with separate chart singles. I liked this song, which appeared on both of their solo albums. 12: I LOVE MUSIC - THE O'JAYS (14) - This song wasn't bad, but rather repetitive. I preferred a few other songs by them, such as "Love Train" and "Use Ta Be My Girl". 11: OUR DAY WILL COME - FRANKIE VALLI (13) - For awhile there, like Art Garfunkel, he was on the chart both as a solo artist and with his old band the Four Seasons! I liked both songs about the same - both were great songs! 10: NIGHTS ON BROADWAY - THE BEE GEES (7) - This one didn't have as much of a disco beat as "Jive Talkin'". Of those two songs, I preferred this one (as "Jive Talkin'" was way overplayed). Still, I prefer many other songs from them. 9: FOX ON THE RUN - SWEET (10) - Their previous song, Ballroom Blitz was way too loud and repetitive for my liking, but this song was actually pretty good. 8: I WRITE THE SONGS - BARRY MANILOW (11) - This song is ironically titled, as, while Manilow did write most of his songs, this was not one of them (of course, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys was the author of this song). Anyway, it's true that I liked most of his ballads, but this one was one of my least favorite of those, most likely due to overplay. 7: SKY HIGH - JIGSAW (3) - Often thought of as a one-hit wonder, they did actually have another minor Top 40 hit in 1976 called "Love Fire". I preferred this one, though - one of my favorite hits from 1975! 6: THE THEME FROM "MAHOGANY" - DIANA ROSS (8) - After making a huge, eleven-spot chart jump the week before, it makes a more modest move this week. This song would make it all the way to the top, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 5: LOVE ROLLERCOASTER - THE OHIO PLAYERS (6) - I wasn't generally a fan of them, but this song wasn't too bad. One I remember from back in the day. 4: SATURDAY NIGHT - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (5) - Meh, not a huge fan of this song, or them in general (though they did have a few songs that I did like). EXTRA: FELIZ NAVIDAD - JOSE FELICIANO - This was the third Optional Extra. The story to tie in with this song was how Jose caused a controversy by singing his version of the National Anthem at the 1963 World Series. This "Spanglish" song was a good one - I remember hearing it during a skating scene on the show "Christmas Eve On Sesame Street". 3: FLY ROBIN FLY - SILVER CONVENTION (1) - To this day, I still haven't learned all the lyrics to this song Of their two hits, I slightly preferred this one. It was a good song! 2: LET'S DO IT AGAIN - THE STAPLE SINGERS (2) - Your typical mid-70s slow jam. It was pretty good, but nothing exceptional. This was one of two songs that were gypped out of their week at #1 on AT40 due to the regular shows being pre-empted by the year-ender. ("Saturday Night" was the other). 1: THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (4) - Wow, who saw this coming? The Staple Singers were gearing up to hit #1 this week and then this song, which was on its way down the chart, having hit #1 a month earlier, made a startling return to the top of the chart. Casey mentioned that it set the record for the "longest yo-yo" between #1 appearances - a total of four weeks.
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Post by Hervard on Dec 22, 2022 18:48:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - December 24, 2022
This week's presentation - December 22, 1984
Droppers: CARIBBEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) - BILLY OCEAN (39) - This is the song that relieved Ocean from the dreaded classification of "one-hit wonder", and, to boot, it became one of his biggest hits ever. This one was OK, but I preferred his hit that was on its way up the chart this week. I DO'WANNA KNOW - REO SPEEDWAGON (36) - I generally preferred their power ballads, but this would definitely be one of my favorite of their upbeat hits. PURPLE RAIN - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (26) - The title track from the soundtrack that was spending its 21st of 24 total weeks at #1 - definitely one of the most successful soundtracks of the 80s! I like this song, though I remember by this time in 1984, I'd had enough of this song - I switched the station everytime it came on (such was the case with just about any song from the soundtrack). IT AIN'T ENOUGH - COREY HART (21) - Well, this one sure didn't measure up to the success of "Sunglasses At Night" (although it did hit the Top 20). Still, this was quite underrated, IMO. One of my all-time faves from him.
40: NEUTRON DANCE - THE POINTER SISTERS (debut) - Another song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, and it was a Top Ten hit, like "The Heat Is On". I never really cared for this song, or any post-1982 Pointer Sisters songs (except for "Dare Me"). This one was apparently an inspiration for KT Tunstall's "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" (especially with the "woo-hoos"), which accounts for how I hated that song with a passion during its chart run. 39: FOOLISH HEART - STEVE PERRY (debut) - This was the fourth and final single from Street Talk, the first solo album from the lead singer of Journey, who themselves would hit the chart a few months later with their new hit "Only The Young". This was a pretty good song - it and "Oh Sherrie" both receive a decent amount of recurrent airplay (although this song is generally played on AC-oriented oldies stations). 38: (PRIDE) IN THE NAME OF LOVE - U2 (33) - Given how much recurrent airplay this song receives, it's hard to believe that this song didn't even hit the Top 30. 37: CARELESS WHISPER - WHAM! (debut) - Here's a song that I hated as of its last few weeks on the chart. As we all know, my fascination for this song dimmed significantly when a girl that I was hoping to dance with at a middle school dance got back together with her boyfriend and basically threw me under a bus. Fortunately, that happened when this song was on its way down the chart. 36: LOVE LIGHT IN FLIGHT - STEVIE WONDER (40) - One of two hits in this week's chart that he was involved with. The other one is coming up much later in the show. This song was somewhat reminiscent of his earlier material (the tune, that is - the instrumental arrangements were totally 80s). I really liked the song - my favorite of his two 1985 hits (three, if you count "Go Home"). 35: TENDER YEARS - JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (37) - Pretty much the only song you hear by them is "On The Dark Side". Their next two hits were way underrated. "Tough All Over" is my favorite from them, but this would be a close second. 34: THE BELLE OF ST. MARK - SHEILA E. (34) - Speaking of underrated hits, this is a classic example of such. "The Glamorous Life" was played on every single station (and still gets a fair amount of recurrent airplay), but this one, on the other hand, I don't think I ever heard outside of countdown shows. It is by far my favorite song from her. 33: BRUCE - RICK SPRINGFIELD (38) - A song about how Rick was frustrated with people in interviews mistaking him for Bruce Springsteen. This was a rare case where a song about a certain artist was on the chart at the same time as that artist himself. 32: I WOULD DIE 4 U - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (debut) - This one had kind of a fast chart run, especially over on the R&R chart (but that's understandable, as the Purple Rain soundtrack, which had just wrapped up an incredible run of 24 consecutive weeks on the album chart, had sold millions of copies by this point and, hence, people weren't compelled to call in and request this on the radio). As for the song, it was a good one, though I wasn't too crazy about it back in the day. 31: LOVERBOY - BILLY OCEAN (35) - This was the new song by Billy Ocean I mentioned earlier. The song did almost as well as "Caribbean Queen", peaking at #2, but couldn't push past Wham!'s "Careless Whisper". Too bad, as I prefer this song over that one, which just had to go and become the biggest hit of 1985...But I digress. Anyway, as mentioned earlier, this was my favorite of Ocean's two hits on this week's chart, but I preferred many others from him. 30: STRANGER IN TOWN - TOTO (31) - They generally included the second verse “Buckingham Palace better tighten things up, the S.O.B is mean.”, but either inverted the expletive or played a guitar lick over it. This week, however, that verse was edited out entirely. I liked the song, but is not quite my favorite from them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS - BAND AID - One of two Top 40 singles to help famine relief in Ethiopia. The other one, of course, was "We Are The World". This was a good song that still gets quite a lot of radio airplay during Christmastime. I think it's a good one. 29: BETTER BE GOOD TO ME - TINA TURNER (20) - Her comeback was in full swing, with her second of three consecutive Top Ten hits. I like this song about the same as "What's Love Got To Do With It". 28: WE ARE THE YOUNG - DAN HARTMAN (25) - After hitting big with the frankly overplayed "I Can Dream About You", this one didn't even hit the Top 20, which was a shame, as I really liked this song. 27: THE BOYS OF SUMMER - DON HENLEY (29) - Ah, a summer hit charting in winter (and the weekend that the song hit the Top Ten, it was truly winter where I was - it didn't even make it to zero degrees that day, and the wind chills were horrendous). LDD: I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - A dedication from "Guy Smiley" (a former school bus driver) to all his passengers, whom he got to know and love over the years of driving his bus, and whom also loved this song and often sang it on the bus. 26: WALKING ON A THIN LINE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (18) - The fifth and final single from Sports, his/their biggest singles album ever. While "If This Is It" is by far my favorite song from the album, I'm not quite sure where to rank this song. 25: JAMIE - RAY PARKER, JR. (27) - Ah, a song about not being able to let go of an old girlfriend! I certainly know that feeling! The song was a good one - my favorite of his two songs released in 1984. 24: CENTIPEDE - REBBIE JACKSON (28) - One of two of the Jackson siblings on this week's chart. I preferred the other one, as I was never a huge fan of this song at all. 23: STRUT - SHEENA EASTON (17) - This was the second of two hits during 1984 for Ms. Easton. I preferred the more obscure other hit, "Almost Over You" - was never a huge fan of this one. 22: EASY LOVER - PHILIP BAILEY WITH PHIL COLLINS (30) - Sort of a random pairing, but it obviously worked, as it was a huge hit. I liked it, but I preferred other hits from both artists, with their respective bands. 21: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER (32) - Backed by Jennifer Holiday, Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, and the New Jersey Mass Choir, this song would finally put them on top of the chart (after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY) in early 1985. Though I preferred the next single from their album Agent Provocateur, "That Was Yesterday", this one was a great one as well! OPTIONAL EXTRA: GOT A HOLD ON ME - CHRISTINE McVIE - One of Fleetwood Mac's lead singers, who passed away back in late November finally got her tribute this week with her most successful solo hit, which peaked at #10 in March, 1984. It was a good one - sounded a lot like her hits with Fleetwood Mac on which she sang lead. 20: HELLO AGAIN - THE CARS (23) - A somewhat obscure song by the Cars (although, I say "somewhat" only because the song was used as a TV channel promo for a short time - not sure which channel, though). Anyway, this would be my second least favorite of the Heartbeat City singles (come on, you KNOW what my least favorite is!) 19: UNDERSTANDING - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (24) - One of his/their more obscure hits. Sort of reminds me of his 1980 hit "Against The Wind". 18: PENNY LOVER - LIONEL RICHIE (11) - The album Can't Slow Down sure got a lot of mileage, didn't it? This was the fifth single from the album, and all five songs hit the Top Ten. It's a fairly close race between this and "Hello" as my favorite song from the album. 17: DO WHAT YOU DO - JERMAINE JACKSON (19) - And here is the other Jackson on this week's chart (too bad Michael was on hiatus at the time - he could have made it a hat trick). Anyway, as mentioned before, this is my favorite of the two on this week's chart - also one of my favorite Jermaine Jackson songs of all time! EXTRA: JINGLE BELL ROCK - BOBBY HELMS - This song was also played as an extra on this week's 1975 show - with the same story to boot, about how Helms' song "Fraulein" was the longest-running song on the country chart, staying on for 52 weeks. Sounds like they played an older version of the song, instead of the one that I usually hear on the radio anymore. I prefer that one. 16: I CAN'T HOLD BACK - SURVIVOR (13) - This song has been a personal fave of mine for a long time! Back around this time in 1984, it was my favorite song in the world. 15: YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO (22) - Their older song dropped out of the Top 40 two weeks before, and this one was roaring up the charts, en route to #3. I like it, though not quite as much as said older song. 14: BORN IN THE U.S.A. - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (15) -I do believe that this song became his signature song. I'm kind of surprised that this one didn't go to #1, but then again, neither did his previous signature song, "Born To Run" (Heck, that one didn't even hit the Top 20!). Anyway, like most of the singles from Born In The USA, I like this one a lot. 13: ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT - CYNDI LAUPER (10) - Definitely one of the best new artists of 1984, as she had four chart singles and each one of those hit the Top Five. This one was my favorite of the four. 12: RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS (16) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the first of them. I liked it, but preferred a few others from Adams. 11: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO - WHAM! (8) - Their first of three Top Five singles from Make It Big. Had "Freedom" not gotten the early action that it did, they might have all been #1 songs. Who knows? Anyway, I liked this song, but my favorite song from the album was "Everything She Wants". OPTIONAL EXTRA: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA - Another somewhat delayed tribute to this artist, who died several days before McVie. This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits, however. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). 10: VALOTTE - JULIAN LENNON (12) - He definitely had his father's voice. When I first heard this song, I thought it was another posthumous hit from the late John Lennon (since he'd had a Top Ten hit earlier in the year). This was my favorite song from Julian's album of the same name. 9: ALL I NEED - JACK WAGNER (14) - This was Frisco Jones' only Top 40 hit, and a great song it was - one of my favorite songs from 1984/1985 - in fact, its eight-week run at the top of my Personal Top 30 charts was divided evenly between the two years! Too bad this just missed hitting the top here on AT40, but the song at #1 at the time was just unstoppable. 8: NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS - PAUL McCARTNEY (6) - There were two versions of this song on the Give My Regards To Broad Street soundtrack. The other one was more upbeat - it was a good one, but I preferred this version. 7: I FEEL FOR YOU - CHAKA KHAN (4) - This was the other song that Stevie Wonder was involved with on the chart. Of course, he played harmonica on the song, which I never crazy about. I did, however, really like Chaka's next release, "Through The Fire", which did not hit the Top 40, but was a pretty decent sized AC hit. 6: WE BELONG - PAT BENATAR (9) - She never quite made it to #1, but this was one of her biggest hits ever. I like it, but prefer several others from her. 5: COOL IT NOW - NEW EDITION (7) - This song could be heard every single day in the small gym at the middle school I went to, as the girls did modern dance to the song. So glad I didn't have to do that, as I never liked this song, but hearing it several times every day would have driven me nuts (actually, we didn't have gym class every day, but that's beside the point). Anyway, I preferred their next two hits, both of which hit the AT40 chart in 1985. LDD: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN - Rather interesting LDD, even if it was kind of mean-spirited (after all, the woman he was tantalizing with the Michael Jackson tickets wasn't THAT rude - all she did was to ask the guy not to keep talking back and forth over her). At least he made good by giving the girl and her friend a bottle of fine wine. As for the song, I never used to like it at all, but now, I think it's not bad. I still prefer his next two singles. 4: SEA OF LOVE - THE HONEYDRIPPERS (5) - Del Shannon did a great cover of this song back in early 1982. This version wasn't bad, but it certainly was overplayed back in the day! 3: OUT OF TOUCH - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (1) - heir fifth #1 song of the 1980s - in fact, this song put them into first place as the artist with the most #1 songs during the 1980s, and as I recall, Michael Jackson had previously held the record (and, of course, since he had five more number one songs later in the decade, he would regain and secure that record). As for this song, it was a pretty good one, but definitely not their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING - CYNDI LAUPER - Not only was she the first woman to have five Top 40 hits from one album, but it was from a debut album. This one, however, did not hit the Top Five like the first four - in fact, it came nowhere near the Top 20. But that could be because most of her fans had the album by now (in fact, I imagine that many people received it as a Christmas gift). I wasn't a big fan of the song myself, so I wasn't disappointed that it didn't fare too well on the charts. 2: WILD BOYS - DURAN DURAN (2) - Meh, I was not a fan of this song. 1984 was definitely not their best year, IMO (though "New Moon On Monday" was a good one). 1: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA (3) - This song was the biggest jumper of the week over the past three weeks. Of course, by now, that was impossible, as the song was only two spots away and, of course, she took over this week. Unsurprisingly this song would spend a long, long time at #1 - six weeks, to be exact (That said, it was weird that “Careless Whisper” beat this one out for #1 song of 1985). This was a great song and, given how big it was, it's kind of surprising that this doesn't get more recurrent airplay than it does (though perhaps the subject matter might have a little to do with it).
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Post by mrjukebox on Dec 22, 2022 21:02:33 GMT -5
Simon & Garfunkel performed "My Little Town" on the second episode of what was then "NBC's Saturday Night" on 10/18/75.
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Post by mrjukebox on Dec 24, 2022 10:38:50 GMT -5
"Our Day Will Come" was originally a # 1 hit for Ruby & The Romantics in early 1963-I also liked Frankie Valli's version.
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Post by mrjukebox on Dec 24, 2022 11:44:19 GMT -5
"The Times Of Your Life" was based on a commercial for Kodak film.
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Post by mrjukebox on Dec 24, 2022 15:24:49 GMT -5
"Sea Of Love" was originally a # 2 hit in 1959 for Phil Phillips.
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Post by mga707 on Dec 25, 2022 15:35:41 GMT -5
"The Times Of Your Life" was based on a commercial for Kodak film. If my memory is right, Anka sang on the ad.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 1, 2023 15:27:23 GMT -5
Happy New Year, everyone! You might remember that, last year, I posted my entire collection of YE chart commentaries. Here is a link to the page where that is listed. Just scroll a little ways down to the third post and there you have it. Enjoy!
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Post by Hervard on Jan 14, 2023 15:05:30 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 14, 2023
This week's presentation - January 10, 1976
Droppers: THE WAY I WANT TO TOUCH YOU - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (39) - I've noticed that this sounds like something Carole King would do (melodically, that is). While I do prefer it over the ad nauseum played "Love Will Keep Us Together" (not to mention the barf-inducing "Muskrat Love"), it's definitely not my favorite from them (that honor, of course, goes to "Do That To Me One More Time"). FULL OF FIRE - AL GREEN (38) - This one reminded me a little of Green's #1 song from exactly five years before, "Let's Stay Together". It was a good song. ISLAND GIRL - ELTON JOHN (32) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting the top. 1975 was sure one of Elton's best years, as he had several big albums, two of which debuted at #1, as well as three number one hits (though only this song was from one of said albums (Rock Of The Westies)), and a Top Five hit from still a different album, Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy), that year. Of his #1 1975 songs, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is my favorite, this would definitely be a close second, as it is a great song as well! SCHOOL BOY CRUSH - AVERAGE WHITE BAND (33) - The fourth of five Top 40 hits for this London band. It’s okies, nothing I’d go out of my way to listen to.
40: SLOW RIDE - FOGHAT (debut) - As I've said many times before, this is a classic rock staple! I sort of remember this one from its chart run, though it wasn't really one of my favorites. 39: GOLDEN YEARS - DAVID BOWIE (debut) - Not a huge fan of this song, or Bowie in general, though his two 1987 hits are good ones. 38: THEME FROM “S.W.A.T.” – RHYTHM HERITAGE (debut) - 1976 was definitely the year for TV show themes on the chart, and this was indeed one of the biggest, topping the chart the following week. A great song it was! 37: PALOMA BLANCA – GEORGE BAKER SELECTION (debut) - I thought it was "Oona Panoona Banka". Oh wait, that was Buckwheat's version - my bad. Anyway, this was a great song - I've heard it many a time on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. 36: SQUEEZE BOX – THE WHO (40) - This was a comeback hit for them, as they hadn't charted for three years. This was one of their best songs ever, IMO. 35: LET’S LIVE TOGETHER – ROAD APPLES (37) - Hey, wow - another song on the aforementioned Lost 45s CD. I guess it goes without saying that I've heard this song quite a few times as well. It was a good song, IMO. 34: LET IT SHINE – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (36) - This was back when Olivia was still in her country/pop mode. I preferred her later hits, when she'd evolved to full-blown pop, but this one wasn't too bad. 33: HURRICANE (PART 1) – BOB DYLAN (35) - I was never a huge Bob Dylan fan at all, but this song was actually pretty good - his voice wasn't quite as grating on this song as it is on others. 32: PART TIME LOVE – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (31) - This definitely sounds like something Bread would record (as David Gates wrote it). This one was a great song - one of Knight's best songs - definitely underrated, as it didn't get any higher than #22. 31: NIGHTS ON BROADWAY – THE BEE GEES (21) - This one didn't have as much of a disco beat as "Jive Talkin'". Of those two songs, I preferred this one (as "Jive Talkin'" was way overplayed). Still, I prefer many other songs from them. 30: SKY HIGH - JIGSAW (19) - Often thought of as a one-hit wonder, they did actually have another minor Top 40 hit in 1976 called "Love Fire". I preferred this one, though - one of my favorite hits from 1975! 29: FLY, ROBIN, FLY – SILVER CONVENTION (10) - To this day, I still haven't learned all the lyrics to this song Of their two hits, I slightly preferred this one. It was a good song! 28: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT – HELEN REDDY (30) - This was the first of two versions of this song that hit the Top 20 during the 70s. Barry Manilow's cover from three years later would hit the Top Ten. I preferred that one, though this one wasn't bad either - not quite as cheesy as many other Helen Reddy songs. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES - The newest hit from their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album. It was also my favorite from that album - a great song indeed! The song was also their only Top 40 hit with Randy Meisner on lead vocal. 27: BABY FACE – THE WING & A PRAYER FIFE & DRUM CORPS (23) - This one had charted in some form or other for the past five decades in addition to this one. It was a good song. 26: FOR THE LOVE OF YOU – THE ISLEY BROTHERS (24) - This song is a decent slow jam, but I prefer Jordan Hill's hit of the same name, which charted on the AC charts circa 1996 and is one of the songs on my YouTube playlist entitled "Favorite Songs". 25: WAKE UP EVERYBODY – HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (27) - The last of four songs that they charted with in the 1970s. It was a pretty good song. 24: WINNERS AND LOSERS – HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS (26) - They hit #1 back in August with "Fallin' In Love" and were trying for a second #1. Unfortunately, this song only got as high as #21 and was their final Top 40 hit. I thought it was a good song. 23: LOVE HURTS - NAZARETH (25) - One of the best power ballads ever! Too bad it was their only Top 40 hit. 22: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO – NEIL SEDAKA (28) - The ballad version of this sixties classic. Of the two, I prefer this one. 21: OVER MY HEAD – FLEETWOOD MAC (23) - This legendary band had been around for many years, yet this was their first Top 40 hit. They'd more than make up for lost time over the next few years, though, with many hit singles from successive albums. Most of the songs seemed to feature Christine McVie on vocals, including this song, which was a good one, IMO. 20: LOVE MACHINE (PART 1) – THE MIRACLES (22) - This song was on its way to becoming the slowest rising #1 song - up to that point, that is - it has since been beaten by several other songs. I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from them. 19: LET’S DO IT AGAIN – THE STAPLE SINGERS (5) - Your typical mid-70s slow jam. It was pretty good, but nothing exceptional. This was one of two songs that were gypped out of their week at #1 on AT40 due to the regular shows being pre-empted by the year-ender. ("Saturday Night" was the other). 18: EVIL WOMAN – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (20) - Their second Top 40 hit (and like the first, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", it made the Top Ten). It was a good song, but I prefer a few others from them, including said first Top 40 hit. 17: 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER – PAUL SIMON (34) - Wow, with a huge leap like that, it was clear where this song was headed! This was Simon's first #1 hit after parting ways with Art Garfunkel (who, sadly, never hit #1 on his own). I liked this song, but preferred his next hit, the title track from his album Still Crazy After All These Years. 16: FLY AWAY – JOHN DENVER (18) - As I've said many times before, I heard most of John Denver's songs when I was real little, since my Mom used to play his albums all the time, so I remember them quite well, including this one, which I really liked. What I never knew (until many years later) was that Olivia Newton-John sang back-up on this song. 15: ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE (LIVE VERSION) - KISS (17) - They hit the Top 40 for the first time with the live version of a song that had briefly charted on the Hot 100 earlier in the year. This song was one of their best rockers, IMO. Poison did a good remake of this song back in 1987. 14: YOU SEXY THING – HOT CHOCOLATE (16) - Meh, not a big fan of this song at all (but I do realize a lot of people were, as this was their biggest hit - it just never did anything for me, that's all). OPTIONAL EXTRA: TEEN ANGEL - MARK DINNING - Originally placed in the show as a regular extra between #33 and #32, this song, which was OK, but quite depressing, was demoted to "Optional Extra" status. 13: SING A SONG – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (15) - They had a pretty good year in 1975, with two Top 20 hits, including a #1, and this third song that would go on to hit #5 a few weeks later. It was not bad, but I preferred many other songs from them. 12: COUNTRY BOY (YOU’VE GOT YOUR FEET IN L.A.) – GLEN CAMPBELL (14) - The follow-up to Campbell's biggest hit ever, "Rhinestone Cowboy". This song, which sounds a little like that one, just narrowly missed the Top Ten the following week. I like these two songs about the same. 11: WALK AWAY FROM LOVE – DAVID RUFFIN (13) - Wow, lots of songs moving up two spots this week! Of course, we all know Ruffin was the lead singer of the Temptations in the mid to late 1960s. He started a solo career in 1969 and had two Top Tens, both peaking at #9. This was the second of those songs and I thought it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred Ruffin's hits with the Temptations. 10: TIMES OF YOUR LIFE – PAUL ANKA (12) - Another two-spot jumper here. This song is a tad on the cheesy side, but it's still not bad - very mellow and relaxing. 9: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY – DONNA SUMMER (11) - I'm sorry, but a prolonged orgasm is not a song. 8: THAT’S THE WAY (I LIKE IT) – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (8) - This song seemed to have two waves of popularity - it had hit #1 in November and dropped out, only to make a surprising return to #1 a month later. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1975 #1. 7: I LOVE MUSIC (PART 1) – THE O’JAY’S (9) - This song wasn't bad, but rather repetitive. I preferred a few other songs by them, such as "Love Train" and "Use Ta Be My Girl". 6: FOX ON THE RUN - SWEET (7) - Their previous song, Ballroom Blitz was way too loud and repetitive for my liking, but this song was actually pretty good. 5: SATURDAY NIGHT – THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (1) - Meh, not a huge fan of this song, or them in general (though they did have a few songs that I did like). 4: LOVE ROLLERCOASTER – OHIO PLAYERS (4) - I wasn't generally a fan of them, but this song wasn't too bad. One I remember from back in the day. 3: THEME FROM “MAHOGANY” (DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO) – DIANA ROSS (3) - There was a revolving door of #1 hits in late 1975/early 1976, and this song was part of it - would hit #1 at the end of January. Anyway, this was one of my favorite songs from Diana Ross - by far my favorite of her 1976 #1's. 2: I WRITE THE SONGS – BARRY MANILOW (2) - This song is ironically titled, as, while Manilow did write most of his songs, this was not one of them (of course, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys was the author of this song). Anyway, it's true that I liked most of his ballads, but this one was one of my least favorite of those, most likely due to overplay. 1: CONVOY – C.W. McCALL (6) - Great truckin' song here! This one wasted no time hitting the top, but was only able to hold on for a single week, as there was somewhat of a convoy in the Top Five of songs waiting to hit the top. In fact, the entire Top Five this week was made of songs that either had hit #1 or were about to!
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Post by Hervard on Jan 14, 2023 15:05:43 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 14, 2023
This week's presentation - January 22, 1983
Dropped: DOES IT MAKE YOU REMEMBER - KIM CARNES (36) - I seem to recall that I really liked this song. I'll have to see if I can find it on YouTube when I get a chance. A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS - TAVARES (33) - This song was kind of cheesy, but not too bad. LET'S GO DANCIN' (OOH LA LA) - KOOL & THE GANG (30) - Not quite their best hit, although it was pretty good. TRULY - LIONEL RICHIE (28) - Wow, what a difference two weeks can make. It was in the Top Ten two weeks prior, now it drops out. What a shame, as it's one of his best hits (though I am glad that it did make it to #1). ROCK THIS TOWN - STRAY CATS (26) - Another song that had been in the Top Ten two weeks before. It was a good one, though I preferred "Stray Cat Strut".
LW#2: THE GIRL IS MINE - MICHAEL JACKSON & PAUL McCARTNEY LW#1: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK 40: PUT IT IN A MAGAZINE - SONNY CHARLES (debut) - A typical early-80s slow jam. It was a good one, IMO. 39: MEMORY - BARRY MANILOW (39) - A classic song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats. I like it and Barbra Streisand's version about the same. 38: TWO LESS LONELY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - AIR SUPPLY (38) - This song and their preceding hit "Young Love" both peaked at #38, making it clear that they'd had their day in the sun (though they did have a respectable comeback later that year with "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All"). Too bad this one tanked so fast, though, because it was a great song! 37: BAD BOY - RAY PARKER JR. (40) - This song was the sequel to his previous hit "The Other Woman". He was done having fun with said other woman and wanted to get back together with his ex - the question is, did she take him back? Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred his earlier hits, mainly the ones with Raydio. 36: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (debut) - Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...oh, wrong Twilight Zone? My bad. This song has become a classic rock staple, along with their 1974 hit "Radar Love". Of those songs, I prefer this one. I remember hearing this one quite a lot in the spring of 1983. EXTRA: MAGIC MAN - HEART - The story about this song was about odd occurrences on a plane they were flying over the Bermuda Triangle. Although this is not one of my favorite songs from them, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the album version of the song - has AT40 ever played that version other than this week's show? 35: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (debut) - His second solo Top 40 hit and this one looked like it might go to #1 like his first one "Truly". It did hit #1 for a week on R&R, while Michael Jackson was having his marathon run at #1 on the Hot 100. Though I did like this song a lot, I preferred Richie's first Top 40 hit which, sadly, dropped off the chart this week. 34: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (debut) - This was their breakthrough hit here in the states and it was the first of many Top Ten hits for the British band. It was one of my favorite songs from them of all time. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS & SHEENA EASTON - A cover version of Bob Seger's Top 20 hit from four years prior. This one performed somewhat better on the charts, getting as high as #6 in late March. I preferred this version over Seger's, but still prefer other songs from both artists involved. 33: SPACE AGE LOVE SONG - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (37) - Another British band, although nowhere near as successful as Duran Duran. Their first hit "I Ran" was a Top Ten hit, as we all know, but this song, on the other hand, didn't even touch the Top 30, which was a shame, since it was a great song. 32: WHAT ABOUT ME - MOVING PICTURES (34) - Its slow climb and tenure on the chart versus its peak leads me to believe that this song had sporadic airplay, but did well where played. It only got as high as #29, but spent 13 weeks in the Top 40 and a half a year on the Hot 100. The song was a good one, though I do remember that I disliked it during its chart run. 31: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (35) - We all know that my opinion on the song depends on which version they played. I don't like the intro (does Boy George have any cheese to go with that whine?), and I find the instrumental bridge annoying. It was a double whammy this week, as it contained both. LDD: STILL - THE COMMODORES - A typical LDD story concerning this song, but I found it interesting that they played the full album version of the song, as they usually play the single version, which skips from the first verse to the second chorus. I used to give this song "No. Just no" status, but now I think it's pretty good - I just wouldn't want to hear it on a daily basis, as depressing as it is. 30: SHOCK THE MONKEY - PETER GABRIEL (32) - The first Top 40 hit from this former member of Genesis (though with all the recurrent airplay that "Solsbury Hill" receives, it's a surprise that it never hit the 40). Anyway, this was a great song - I prefer this song over his two overplayed 1986 hits by a wide margin. 29: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (debut) - This song debuted on the Hot 100 way up here at #29. Looked like it had #1 hit written all over it, right? Not quite. The song, in fact, didn't even hit the Top Ten! Quite surprising, as the song was played all the time on the radio stations I listened to. The song did hit #3 on R&R, so it must have been a poor seller. 28: STEPPIN' OUT - JOE JACKSON (13) - This song was a nominee for Record Of The Year in the upcoming Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, it lost to "Rosanna" by Toto. That's OK; I preferred that song anyway. This one was pretty good, but I preferred Jackson's other Top 40 hits. 27: PASS THE DUTCHIE - MUSICAL YOUTH (31) - A rather weird song, but not too bad, I guess. 26: HEART OF THE NIGHT - JUICE NEWTON (29) - As we all know, I liked her three 1982 hits the best, but this was a good one too. 25: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY - SAMMY HAGAR (27) - Great song! How great, you may wonder? Well, it was great enough to be the #1 song of the entire year, according to my Personal Top 30 charts! It was also the only song on my chart ever to spend its entire chart run in the Top Ten (since early 1983 was an extremely busy era, with so many great songs being released - most descending songs did fall off from inside the Top Ten). 24: I DO - J. GEILS BAND (24) - I couldn't really tell from the drop piece of the studio version of this song that Casey played, but it sounds like I might prefer that version over this live one. I'll have to check it out on YouTube sometime. Either way, my favorite song from them is "Centerfold". OPTIONAL EXTRA: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON - This song was poised to hit the chart next week and, as stated earlier, went on to spend seven weeks on top. As overplayed as it was, I still think it's a good one. 23: STRAY CAT STRUT - THE STRAY CATS (25) - This was my favorite of their three Top Ten hits. 22: LOVE IN STORE - FLEETWOOD MAC (22) - In the intro to this song, Casey mentioned the six other hits in which Christine McVie sang or shared lead vocals. This was all the higher that this song got on the Hot 100, but did manage to hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart. I like this song now, but such was not the case back when it was on the chart. This one reminds me a little of "Silver Springs" (though Stevie Nicks sang lead on that one). 21: YOU GOT LUCKY - TOM PETTY (21) - It looked like this song had peaked, but it did manage to climb a spot higher the following week. It was a good one, but not quite my favorite from him. 20: ALLENTOWN - BILLY JOEL (23) - A song whose message is still timely today. It is a great one - my favorite of his Nylon Curtain singles. 19: HAND TO HOLD ON TO - JOHN COUGAR (20) - This was a landmark single for John - the last one without his real last name. On his next album, Uh-Huh, he added his real last name Mellencamp to his stage name (and eight years later, he'd drop the Cougar from his name completely). As for this song, it sounded like a watered-down version of "Hurts So Good". It was still not bad, though. 18: THE LOOK OF LOVE - ABC (18) - This was probably my favorite song from them - their Top Ten hits were a little overplayed. 17: GOODY TWO SHOES - ADAM ANT (19) - One of several rockabilly songs that charted around late 1982/early 1983. I liked this song, but preferred his 1995 hit "Wonderful", which had sort of an early-80s sound to it, making me wonder how it would have done had it charted around now instead of "Goody Two Shoes". 16: HEART TO HEART - KENNY LOGGINS (17) - One of several songs on the chart that hit the Top 3 on the R&R chart, but didn't quite hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart. This song would peak at #15. It's a great song - one of my favorite of Loggins' Top 40 hits, although the single version seems to be cut down too much. I seem to recall an AT40 where the album version was played - can anyone confirm? 15: GLORIA - LAURA BRANIGAN (11) - This song was in the Top 40 for a 21st week, yet it was still way up in the Top 20 (it would take a nosedive the following week, however). It was a great song - one I never got tired of despite its overplay (I believe it was still on WLS's survey well into mid-spring). 14: THE OTHER GUY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (14) - They definitely had a pretty good run, but it was almost over; this was their final Top 20 hit. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "We Two". 13: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (15) - The first of two Supremes covers that charted in 1983. The other one was "Stop! In The Name Of Love" by the Hollies, from that summer. I preferred that one, but this was a good one as well. 12: SHAME ON THE MOON - BOB SEGER (16) - This song would spend four frustrating weeks at #2, but couldn't quite make it past "Billie Jean", which leapfrogged over him. It was a good song, though not Seger's best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS - The station on which I listened to the show (WNYR) did not play this song, which was actually just fine with me, as I'm not a big fan of this song. 11: YOU AND I - EDDIE RABBIT & CRYSTAL GAYLE (12) - A one-time duet from two of my favorite pop/country artists, and a great one at that - one of my favorite from both of them. 10: HEARTBREAKER - DIONNE WARWICK (10) - The Bee Gees wrote this one and you can hear Barry Gibb singing back-up on the chorus. Definitely a great song! 9/LDD: MICKEY - TONI BASIL (6) - The LDD was by a guy who enjoyed drawing and Mickey Mouse was his favorite thing to draw. The song was more or less a teenybopper song, but not too bad, I guess. 8: ROCK THE CASBAH - THE CLASH (9) - This song has two versions of it - on the single version, I believe, the electronic sound effects heard in the third and fourth verses are somewhat muted, and the scream of "JIVE!!" is drawn out for several measures. I prefer the album version, which I believe is the version that AT40 generally plays. 7: BABY, COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN & JAMES INGRAM (8) - This song looked like it may have peaked the following week, as it was stuck at #7 for a second week, behind a song on its way down that was at #6 for a second week. But it managed to pick up steam and hit #1 a few weeks later. 6: MANEATER - HALL AND OATES (4) - This was said song that was on its way down. It had already had its turn at #1, a spot it held for a month. I liked this song, but preferred many others from them. 5: AFRICA - TOTO (7) - Wow, Toto sure had a lot of Grammy nominees - eight of them to be exact. I don't remember how many they won, but there was a least one, as I mentioned earlier. Anyway, this song was a good one, though I disliked it quite a lot when it was on the charts (due to overplay). 4: SEXUAL HEALING - MARVIN GAYE (5) - Interesting story about how Marvin tried to embarrass his ex-wife with his album Here My Dear, from which she would collect the royalties, and instead, it got rave reviews. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I was never a big Marvin Gaye fan. 3: DIRTY LAUNDRY - DON HENLEY (3) - Henley's first Top 40 solo hit, and his biggest ever. I always liked the song, which was about the tabloidization of the news. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA - This song featured Phil Collins on the drums, as well as on back-up vocals. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred Frida with Abba. 2: THE GIRL IS MINE - MICHAEL JACKSON & PAUL McCARTNEY (2) - Ah, this was the one that started it all off for Jackson's Thriller album - his biggest selling album of all time. It was also the first of two duets between Jackson and Paul McCartney. I preferred this one - a great song! 1: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK (1) - Meh, this one was way overplayed, as well as the first hit from Business As Usual. Too bad the Cargo singles are all but ignored, since those were far superior, IMO.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 20, 2023 14:58:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 21, 2023
This week's presentation - January 13, 1979
Droppers: MACARTHUR PARK - DONNA SUMMER (38) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but the saving grace for this song is the fact that it IS disco. MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL - THE CARS (35) - Given all the recurrent airplay that this song receives, it's a surprise that it did not get any higher than #35. I JUST WANNA STOP - GINO VANELLI (23) - The highest peaking of his three Top 40 hits. It's pretty good, but I preferred "Livin' Inside Myself". I'M EVERY WOMAN - CHAKA KHAN (21) - This song was a Top 40 hit twice - the second being by Whitney Houston. I like both versions about the same.
40: BABY I'M BURNIN' - DOLLY PARTON (debut) - She was primarily a country artist, as we all know, but she did have seven pop hits. This one was pretty good, but I preferred most of her other hits, including a few AC-only hits. 39: LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE - ROSE ROYCE (debut) - This one was your typical 70's mid-tempo ballad. It was OK, but quite repetitive. 38: NO TELL LOVER - CHICAGO (debut) - This one sounded a lot like their older hits, with the horn section heard on many of those hits. This one was a good one, but definitely not their best. EXTRA: I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME - THE SUPREMES & THE TEMPTATIONS - A one-time pairing between two of the most successful Motown acts ever. The song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others by both groups. 37: SHATTERED - THE ROLLING STONES (debut) - I'm actually more familiar with Steve Dahl's parody of this one, called "Skylab". This song is okies, but I prefer many others from them. 36: GOT TO BE REAL - CHERYL LYNN (40) - This bass line in this song reminds me a little of "Best Of My Love" by The Emotions. Ironically, both songs' bass lines were used in two different Top 40 hits from 1991. This one was sampled, but I don't think that Mariah Carey sampled "Best Of My Love" for her song "Emotions", since it was a tad different. Anyway, I preferred this song over "I'll Do 4 U" by Father MC, which, of course, was the song that sampled its bass line. 35: HOME AND DRY - GERRY RAFFERTY (39) - His third of five Top 40 hits. I like this and "Right Down The Line" about the same. 34: TAKE ME TO THE RIVER - TALKING HEADS (36) - This one isn't quite as good as "And She Was", but it's worlds better than their annoyance from 1983 (come on, you know the title!) 33: DON'T CRY OUT LOUD - MELISSA MANCHESTER (37) - This was her second of three Top Ten hits, and it just barely made it - the week after it peaked at #10, it took a hard fall to #29. I'm glad it made the Top Ten, as it's a great one - possibly my all-time favorite song from her! 32: THE GAMBLER - KENNY ROGERS (34) - Given that this song peaked at #16, it's a surprise that this one actually ranked on the Top 50 of 1979. (Yes, I know very well that's nothing compared to Kris Kardashian's 1973 hit). Anyway, this song's pretty good, but definitely not his best. I especially don't like that blessed Geico ad using this song that used to run every single commercial break. 31: A MAN I'LL NEVER BE - BOSTON (33) - I'm not sure if I've ever heard this song before, but it sounds to me like it was edited. It was a great song - representative of most of their 70s material. ARCHIVES: THE THEME FROM "SHAFT" - ISAAC HAYES - This song was actually used as the first Optional Extra. It wasn't bad, but I prefer Hayes as Chef on South Park. 30: I WILL BE IN LOVE WITH YOU - LIVINGSTON TAYLOR (30) - The Taylors are obviously a very musical family! James, of course, is the most successful, but Livingston also had moderate success, with two Top 40 hits (as well as a few AC-only hits). This was a great one! 29: INSTANT REPLAY - DAN HARTMAN (29) - He was a one-hit wonder, for about five years, but he had a decent comeback, with a Top Ten hit, and two more mid-charters. I preferred said mid-charters over this one. 28: SOUL MAN - THE BLUES BROTHERS (32) - They mainly charted with remakes, this one included. It wasn't bad, but my favorite of their cover versions was, by far, "Gimme Some Lovin'", from the following summer. 27: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT - BARRY MANILOW (31) - This song was on its way to becoming Manilow's eighth Top Ten hit. I like it a lot; sadly, it doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay. 26: DON'T HOLD BACK - CHANSON (28) - Though I'm not a big disco fan, this one wasn't too bad. LDD: LOVE IS HERE AND NOW YOU'RE GONE - THE SUPREMES - Interesting how they used soft music as background as Casey read the dedication. As for the song, it was definitely fitting for the dedication. 25: TIME PASSAGES - AL STEWART (26) - Wow, this song, which was on its way down, actually reveresed course this week (don't let that fool you, as it fell back to #62 the following week - what year does THAT remind you of? Anyway, I loved this song; I would often hear this on WHFB in early 1993 - one time, while I was playing Back To The Future 2 & 3 on my NES, which I found somewhat appropriate, given all the time travel and passages to the different streets in the game - just a random thought - now back to the countdown. 24: BICYCLE RACE - QUEEN (25) - While not quite as good as other songs from them like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are The Champions", this one was pretty good nonetheless. 23: I LOVE THE NIGHT LIVE (DISCO ROUND) - ALICIA BRIDGES (5) - Wow, kind of a hard fall there! But it had been on for over a half a year, so I guess many stations were dropping it from their playlists at the same time. It is definitely one of my favorite disco songs of all time! 22: DA YA THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART (27) - Wow, not very often that the biggest mover on the countdown is only five spots, but this chart is based on research from around the New Year, when many stations reported frozen playlists, so I guess it makes sense. Anyway, this song was OK, but certainly not Stewart's best. Makes me mad that this beat out "What A Fool Believes" for the top song of 1979 on the R&R year-ender 21: SHAKE IT - IAN MATTHEWS (22) - Who is it that his voice reminds me of? It's right on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it. Any ideas? As for the song, it's a good one. ARCHIVES: FAMILY AFFAIR - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - Of course, this wasn't the theme from the TV show with Mr. French, Jody, Buffy and Cissy. The song wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BLUE MORNING, BLUE DAY - FOREIGNER - The third and final Top 40 hit from the Double Vision album, and my favorite of the three. 20: I WAS MADE FOR DANCIN' - LEIF GARRETT (24) - This was his first original song to hit the Top 40, and it apparently worked, as this was his first Top Ten. 19: FIRE - THE POINTER SISTERS (20) - After an absence of more than three years, they came back in a major way, with one of their biggest hits ever. One of my favorites from them as well! 18: PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS - THE EAGLES (18) - Sounds a little out of place to be hearing this in mid-January, but that's OK; definitely a great song! EXTRA: LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR - CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - One of their five songs that peaked at #2. As far as I know, they still hold the record for having the most songs peak in the runner-up position without hitting #1. 17: NEW YORK GROOVE - ACE FREHLEY (19) - I heard somewhere that he has a brother who's an author, whose all time best-seller is "The Yellow River". As for this song, it was so/so, but nothing special. EXTRA: DIFFERENT DRUM - LINDA RONSTADT - This was her very first Top 40 hit, as part of the Stone Poneys. I liked it. 16: LOTTA LOVE - NICOLETTE LARSON (17) - A great song from someone who, sadly, passed away at the end of 1997 15: EVERY 1'S A WINNER - HOT CHOCOLATE (16) - Meh, not a big fan of this one, or them in general. 14: SEPTEMBER - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (15) - Their fourth Top Ten hit, and one of their best ever! This one still gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay on oldies stations. 13: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (14) - The third of four Top 40 hits from the Stranger In Town album. The only of those that I really liked was "Still The Same". 12: HOW YOU GONNA SEE ME NOW - ALICE COOPER (12) - One of his slower numbers that I generally prefer over his heavy metal songs. Still, it doesn't hold a candle to "Only Women Bleed". 11: A LITTLE MORE LOVE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (13) - In a somewhat jam-packed Top 20, this song managed to leapfrog over Alice Cooper and almost hit the Top Ten. It would make it the following week and would go on to hit #3, and deservedly so, as this was a great song! ARCHIVES: BRAND NEW KEY - MELANIE - Meh, this was sort of a teenybopper song, though there is possibly sexual innuendo in the song, which Melanie herself has never confirmed nor denied the intent. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAVEN KNOWS - DONNA SUMMER w/BROOKLYN DREAMS - Anyone ever notice how the Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake duet from 2014 (title escapes me at the moment) sounds a lot like this one, or is it just me? Either way, this was a great song! 10: PROMISES - ERIC CLAPTON (11) - For some reason, I have just never been a fan of this song at all. 9: (OUR LOVE) DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY - ANDY GIBB (9) - This song hadn't been heard on the countdown in three weeks - during the last two weeks of December, they were playing the Top 100 of 1978 and the week before, Gibb's previous hit "An Everlasting Love" was inadvertently played in place of this (which actually wasn't too bad, since I preferred that song - this one was kind of weak, though not bad). 8: OOH BABY BABY - LINDA RONSTADT (10) - One of many covers that Linda charted with, in this case, the classic by the Miracles. It was pretty good - I liked both versions about the same. 7: Y.M.C.A. - THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (7) - OK, I realize that I've been way too harsh with this song in my past commentaries - to tell the truth, I actually used to like this song, but it's just that the goofy dance to this song, with everyone forming the letters, has been run into the ground, big time. Before that, it used to be a decent song, but after every single dance or wedding reception I've gone to over the past 25 or so years felt that they couldn't possibly go without playing this song, that dimmed my fascination for this song. I realize that there are still many people who like the song and really, more power to them (after all, as I said, I used to be one of them), but I could definitely go for the rest of my life without hearing this song. 6: SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER - DR. HOOK (6) - This song was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Better Love Next Time". LDD: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS - The only song by them that I like - not sure how fitting it is for the dedication, though - it definitely would be so if they had stayed together despite people meddling in their relationship. 5: HOLD THE LINE - TOTO (8) - Their very first Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but definitely not their best. EXTRA: #9 DREAM - JOHN LENNON - This song was one of four songs that contained the numbers where the songs would peak - or so Casey said, as there was at least two that he missed - "25 Or 6 To 4" by Chicago, which peaked at #4 in 1970, and "You're The One That I Want" by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John had peaked at #1 the year before. Though I preferred many other solo Lennon hits, this one was pretty good as well - reminds me a little of bandmate George Harrison's #1 hit "My Sweet Lord". 4: YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS - BARBRA STREISAND & NEIL DIAMOND (4) - I never understood how this song became as big a hit as it was. Seriously - who wants to hear these two geezers whining and sniveling about not receiving a few flowers. So the neighbors got tired of them prowling around in their garden - who could blame them? 3: MY LIFE - BILLY JOEL (3) - Hey, wow! They played the album version of the song this week (as they generally went with the single version, which is way too butchered, IMO). This is definitely one of my favorite Billy Joel songs of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU - THE BABYS - This was the second of two Top 20 hits from them, and probably my favorite of the two, though "Isn't It Time" would be an extremely close second. 2: LE FREAK - CHIC (2) - This song had already hit #1 twice before, and believe it or not, it wasn't done yet! The song would hit #1 the following week and stay there for three more weeks, for a grand total of six weeks! This was the biggest disco hit of all time, according to AT40's Top 40 Disco Songs countdown the following summer. I was never a big fan of the song, but it is tolerable. 1: TOO MUCH HEAVEN - THE BEE GEES (1) - I liked most of their slow songs (from 1975 on, that is), but this is possibly my least favorite of them. Not sure; I just have never gotten into this song.
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