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Post by Hervard on Apr 28, 2023 13:41:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 29, 2023
This week's presentation - April 30, 1983
Droppers: SHAME ON THE MOON - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (25) - The song, penned by country singer Rodney Crowell, peaked at #2 for four weeks here on AT40, but managed a week at #1 on the R&R chart - in fact, its #1 week happened to be on the first weekly countdown show I ever listened to ("Countdown America" with John Leader). It's a good song - sounds sort of like a laid-back version of his 1980 hit "Fire Lake". I'VE GOT A ROCK 'N' ROLL HEART - ERIC CLAPTON (24) - I wasn't generally a huge fan of his music, but this one was actually a good one, IMO. But that line about getting off on '57 Chevies and screaming guitars can be taken wrong nowadays... CHANGE OF HEART - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (22) - This song had a very erratic chart run - one week, it would make a big move and the next it would be holding at that spot. The song peaked at #21 for three weeks. I thought it was a great song, and I loved how the vinyl of the 45 of the song was red.
LW#1: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS 40: I LIKE IT - DEBARGE (35) - Their debut hit, and it didn't do too bad, peaking at #31 two weeks before. Their next two songs hit the Top 20, but their best year was clearly 1985 when they had two Top Ten hits. The song was pretty good, though I prefer most of their other slow songs like “Time Will Reveal” and “Who’s Holding Donna Now”. 39: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (23) - A great song that the two Chicago stations that I listened to back then (WLS 94.7 and B96) played quite a lot (was #1 on WLS' nightly request show for quite awhile IIRC). That said, it's a shock that this song came nowhere near the R&R chart. Here on AT40, it peaked at #10. 38: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (20) - One of two former members of Abba that hit the chart in 1983 (the other was Agnetha Faltskog, whose "Can't Shake Loose" charted in the fall). Phil Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. 37: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (21) - This was their second Top 40 hit and their first Top Ten. Possibly my favorite song from them (though "Brass In Pocket" might give this a run for its money). 36: WHIRLY GIRL - OXO (28) - Interesting story about how the founder of this band changed the theme of his music when he heard kids singing the chorus of his old group Foxy's "Get Off". As for the song - it's just great - one of those songs that makes you want to just get up and dance! Too bad this didn't get any higher than #28. 35: DON'T LET IT END - STYX (debut) - I knew it was only a matter of time before we reached the first debut! And what a debut it was - it came onto the Hot 100 way up here at #35. Even though it's sort of a depressing song, all you need to do is get past the lyrics, since the music itself is upbeat. This was by far my favorite single from Kilroy Was Here, as well as one of my all-time favorites from Styx. 34: STRANGER IN MY HOUSE - RONNIE MILSAP (38) - This definitely does not sound like Milsap's previous hits - has sort of a rock sound to it. I liked it, but preferred most of his other hits. 33: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES (40) - Here is another song that you still hear quite often today on oldies stations. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred "Promises Promises" from later that summer. 32: SO WRONG - PATRICK SIMMONS (36) - The only Top 40 solo hit from the former lead singer of the then-recently disbanded Doobie Brothers. It was a pretty good song. 31: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY (debut) - Strange that this song missed the Top Ten, since it still receives a ton of recurrent airplay, especially on AC-based oldies stations. I like it, but preferred many others from them (including their other song on this week's chart). OPTIONAL EXTRA: MEXICAN RADIO - WALL OF VOODOO - The station I listened to the show on (WABQ) did not play any of the OE's. I did hear this song on the 2014 broadcast of the show and seem to remember it wasn't anything impressive. 30: TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART) - CULTURE CLUB (debut) - Their second Top Ten hit - my favorite song from Kissing To Be Clever. 29: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (39) - This song wasn't bad, but this is around the time when his musical quality was beginning to slip. 28: MORNIN' - JARREAU (37) - The second Top 40 hit for this R&B jazz vocalist from Milwaukee. I liked most of his hits, this one included. I also liked a few of his songs that didn't quite make the pop chart. 27: IT MIGHT BE YOU - STEPHEN BISHOP (29) - Here's a song that spent an unusually long time on the Hot 100 for a song that only got as high as #25 - 20 weeks. I don't think it was promoted at Top 40 radio, though I certainly don't know why, as it was the theme from a blockbuster movie (which Casey said was close to becoming the most successful comedy movie of all time - did it ever make it, BTW?). Well, anyway, it definitely did well at AC radio, however, where it was coming off of a two-week run at #1 this week. 26: SOME KIND OF FRIEND - BARRY MANILOW (30) - Manilow seemed to be picking up the tempo at this point in his career - in a one-year period - three of four songs he charted with in a period between spring, 1982 and spring, 1983 were upbeat songs. This one was a good one. 25: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS & SHEENA EASTON (19) - Well, I must say that I do prefer this one over the original by Bob Seger (which Casey played a drop piece during the intro), but it is definitely not my favorite song by either artist. 24: WELCOME TO HEARTLIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS (27) - This song was part of a somewhat funny LDD situation in late 1984. Someone who learned the hard life of working on a farm requested this song as "Welcome To Hard Life". I rather liked this song, though it was far from being my favorite from Loggins. I preferred the other two High Adventure singles. LDD: BE MY LADY - JEFFERSON STARSHIP - This was their first Top 40 hit after Grace Slick rejoined the band as a full member. It was a good song - nice steel guitar, which was used in a few of their other hits (such as “Runaway”). It fit the dedication as well. 23: FLASHDANCE...WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA (33) - As we all know, "Every Breath You Take" was the most overplayed song during the summer of 1983. Here is the song that would come in second. In late June, when both songs were in the Top Five, it was literally impossible to listen to any Top 40 station without hearing at least one of those songs. 22: MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE (32) - This song, reminiscent of Lionel's hit with the Commodores, "Easy", was pretty good, though I preferred the first two hits from his debut solo album. 21: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - BRYAN ADAMS (34) - His very first Top 40 hit. I read in another thread that this song just barely missed making the Top 100 of 1983. The song was OK, but I preferred many others from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NEW YEAR'S DAY - U2 - Wow, two OE's that didn't hit the Top 40? You don't see that very often. Anyway, I don't know about the Wall Of Voodoo song, but this song gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay on 80s stations (presumably because it was U2's debut single). It's a good song; too bad it didn't get past #53 on the Hot 100. 20: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (17) - This was #1 during one of the seven weeks that "Billie Jean" topped the Billboard chart. This one definitely takes me back to early spring, 1983 - namely, since it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay. Yet "All Night Long" is played regularly - where is the justice I tell ya! But seriously, I liked this song a lot. Glad that it managed to at least top the R&R chart. 19: PHOTOGRAPH - DEF LEPPARD (26) - Another artist with their debut hit, like U2 - only this song DID make the Top 40. It was a good one - my favorite song from Pyromania. 18: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (14) - I prefer the shorter version of this song without the whiny intro and the annoying bridge. Unfortunately, they played the longer one this week. Oh well... I think most radio stations played that version near the end of the song's chart run IIRC. 17: RIO - DURAN DURAN (31) - Wow, what a huge jump! Oddly enough, this song only got three spots higher. It was my favorite Duran Duran song for several years, but then I got tired of it. I still like it, though. 16: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (11) - This, of course, was the breakthrough hit here in the States from one of the most successful bands of the 1980s! It was also my favorite of their 1983 hits, as well as one of my all-time favorites from them! 15: ONE ON ONE - HALL & OATES (7) - This song came very close to topping the R&R chart, but was edged out by “Billie Jean”. I’m kinda surprised it only got as high as #7 on Billboard (then again, it wasn’t as far removed as the three songs that peaked at #3 on R&R yet failed to hit the Top Ten on Billboard earlier in the year). Anyway, of the H20 singles, this was my favorite. 14: SOLITAIRE - LAURA BRANIGAN (18) - The first of many big hits written by one of the most successful songwriters ever, the great Diane Warrren. This was my least favorite of Laura's first three hits, but it's still a good song! 13: EVEN NOW - BOB SEGER (13) - Ever notice how this and his 1986 hit "American Storm" sound similar? Both songs are great, but I slightly prefer this one. 12: SEPARATE WAYS - JOURNEY (8) - This song was just coming off of an incredible six week run at #8, where it peaked on the Hot 100 (it had recently spent a pair of weeks atop the R&R chart). Aside from Billboard's oddball bullet policy, the fact that Frontiers sold millions of copies contributed to its peak difference (as most Journey fans bought the album). This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but there were many other songs from them that I preferred. 11: I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK - TOTO (16) - Their album Toto IV, which had recently won a Grammy for Album of the Year, was living up to its name, as it produced as many Top 40 hits. This was also their fourth (and, as it turned out, final) Top Ten hit. It was a great one, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TOO SHY - KAJAGOOGOO - Ugh - I was thinking that, since KABQ had passed over the first two extras, they'd do the same with this song, but it was not to be. I think we all know that I think this song is dumb and annoying. At least they edited it down somewhat. Still, I much preferred lead-singer Chris Hamill's solo Top 40 hit "Never Ending Story". 10: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (12) - I never knew how dirty it was until about ten years ago, when I looked at the lyrics (since there are times that I couldn’t understand what he was saying). This was the first Top Ten hit from a singer who we lost two years ago. R.I.P. Prince 9: OVERKILL - MEN AT WORK (15) - You probably know all too well that this is by far my favorite Men At Work song. Didn't quite make it to #1 on the Hot 100, like their first two hits, but it did manage to spend three weeks on top of the R&R chart. Anymore, radio tends to play the Business As Usual songs to death, but I never hear any of the Cargo singles outside of radio shows. LDD: HEARTS - MARTY BALIN - This song was indeed very fitting for the dedication, as it was from a mother to her four-year old daughter, who had been staying with her dad in the British Isles and she missed the pitter-patter of little feet when the girl was gone. I wonder if the mom got a mouse and some sheet metal in the interim? But seriously, this was a great song - possibly my favorite Marty Balin song, both as lead singer of Jefferson Starship and solo. 8: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE - THOMAS DOLBY (10) - I'm so glad that AT40 generally played the album version of this song. The single version, which is pretty much the only version you hear on retro shows, was just too watered down, IMO. 7: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON (5) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years. 6: LET'S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE (9) - Of course, we all know that my favorite songs from him were "Day-In, Day-Out" and "Never Let Me Down", both from his 1987 by the title of the latter song. But this song is also pretty good. 5: DER KOMMISAR - AFTER THE FIRE (6) - Their very first hit, too - as well as their last. This one was an 80s mix show essential! 4: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (3) - I'M KILROY!! This was somewhat of a comeback hit for Styx, as they had been absent from the chart for about two years. I was never a huge fan of this song, though - one of my least favorites from them. I preferred the follow-up, which was one of the debuts on this week's show. 3: JEOPARDY - THE GREG KIHN BAND (3) - As this song was wrapping up a three-week stay atop the R&R chart, it wasn't done yet on the Hot 100, as it would climb a spot the following week. A great song that always takes me back to the spring of 1983 - it was even one of my classmate's favorite song OPTIONAL EXTRA: FAMILY MAN - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - This song was one of their more mediocre songs, IMO. I preferred the other H2O singles. 2: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (1) - This song prevented Michael Jackson from having back-to-back #1 singles. I'm still burned out on this song, due to overplay, but I did used to like it - I even bought the single when the song was on its way up the charts. 1: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON (2) - One of several rock-based Michael Jackson songs to hit the charts. Eddie Van Halens's guitar solo in this was outstanding!
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 29, 2023 8:49:41 GMT -5
Hervard,as usual,your critiques are outstanding-However,I detected a slight error when you were discussing Tycoon's lone hit "Such A Woman" after discussing "Don't You Write Her Off"-For the latter song,you said "Like the about song,it was nothing exceptional"-That should've read "like the above song".
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Post by Hervard on Apr 29, 2023 8:59:35 GMT -5
Hervard,as usual,your critiques are outstanding-However,I detected a slight error when you were discussing Tycoon's lone hit "Such A Woman" after discussing "Don't You Write Her Off"-For the latter song,you said "Like the about song,it was nothing exceptional"-That should've read "like the above song". Thanks - the error has been amended.
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Post by Hervard on May 5, 2023 14:15:24 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 6, 1976
This week's presentation - May 1, 1976
As I've mentioned before, I remember a lot of the songs on this week's countdown, because in the spring of 1976, we had our kitchen remodeled. Not quite being in school yet, I’d sometimes sit and watch the men working. They had the radio on all the time and I heard a lot of great songs. If my memory serves me correctly, most of my favorites are on this list.
Droppers: GOLDEN YEARS - DAVID BOWIE (31) - This would be his final Top Ten hit for seven more years (then, he would become more successful than ever). I wasn't a big fan of this song, though it was passable. FOPP - OHIO PLAYERS (30) - Keep on foppin’? What the hell? Sorry, don’t like it - no big loss. LORELEI - STYX (27) - Here's one I remember from back in the day. This song only got as high as #27, which was kind of a surprise, seeing that the station I listened to back then played this song regularly. MONEY HONEY - BAY CITY ROLLERS (21) - Not a fan of this song - I preferred "Saturday Night" over this one, and that ain't saying much! DREAM ON - AEROSMITH (16) - Kind of odd that this song dropped out from so high, especially after pausing at that spot the week before. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite Aerosmith songs ever.
40: ANYTIME (I’LL BE THERE) – PAUL ANKA (debut) - He was indeed a hot item in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as 1974 and '75, but was beginning to fizzle out at this point and no further releases of his would penetrate the Top 30. This one got as high as #33, which was too bad, as I thought it was a good one. 39: CAN’T HIDE LOVE – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (39) - After a great 1975, with two Top 10 hits, including a #1, the band was now in somewhat of a slump, but would come back a few years later bigger than ever. This song was OK, but I preferred other songs by them like “That’s The Way Of The World” and “September”. 38: HURT – ELVIS PRESLEY (debut) - This wasn't bad, but it was far from being his best. 37: I’VE GOT A FEELING – AL WILSON (debut) - This man had a handful of chart singles, although most of them were mid-charters (the only one that wasn't, however, went all the way). This one was pretty good. 36: MORE, MORE, MORE – ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (40) - The first and biggest of their two Top 40 hits, which would be sampled by the Canadian Rock Band Len in "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. I forget how their other song, "NY, You Got Me Dancing" goes, so I can't really say which one I like best. 35: LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU – BILLY OCEAN (debut) - This was a man who seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, as this song, for years, was his only hit. He, however, had a whole slew of hits starting with his comeback in 1984. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his later hits. 34: LOVE IN THE SHADOWS – NEIL SEDAKA (debut) - What a chart career he had! This was the 19th of 21 Top 40 hits for Mr. Sedaka. Though I preferred a few others from him, this wasn't bad at all! 33: UNION MAN – THE CATE BROTHERS (33) - This was the only Top 40 hit for these twins. Like song #37, it wasn't anything exceptional, IMO. 32: YOUNG BLOOD – BAD COMPANY (38) - They sort of sounded like Elvis in this song (although the original of this was done by the Coasters). It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their other hits. 31: SHOUT IT OUT LOUD - KISS (36) - This is one I remember from back in the day (so I'm surprised that this was all the higher it got). It was pretty good, but I prefer their slower songs, like "Beth" and "Forever" (and apparently, so did the Top 40 audience, as those two songs were their only Top Tens). 30: HAPPY MUSIC - BLACKBYRDS (34) - This was the second of two Top 20 hits from this soul group formed in 1973 in our nation's capital. This one was pretty good, but it didn't hold a candle to "Walking In Rhythm", which was a Top Ten hit the year before. 29: COME ON OVER – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (35) - Olivia had enjoyed a wave of chart success, with five consecutive Top Tens over a year and a half and, at this point, looked to be on her way down, chartwise, but the best was yet to come. This song, written by Barry and Robin Gibb, was pretty good, IMO, but definitely not her best. 28: DON’T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE – GLEN CAMPBELL (32) - Good rendition of both songs, including a slow version of “Don’t Pull Your Love”, which was originally a mid-tempo song by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. 27: SWEET THING – RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (15) - The third and final Top Ten hit for this soul group from the Windy City. Though I'm not a fan of them in general, this one was actually not bad (of course, hearing Mary J. Blige's remake a lot back in early 1993 might have helped a little). OPTIONAL EXTRA: CRAZY ON YOU - HEART - Their first of many Top 40 hits. I'm so surprised that this song got no higher than #35 and lasted but two weeks on the chart, as I remember hearing this song all the time in 1976. 26: HAPPY DAYS – PRATT & McCLAIN (37) - 1976 was indeed the year for TV show themes, as many of those hit the chart over the year. This was one of my favorite TV shows, and definitely a long lasting one - wasn't it on the air for ten years? 25: THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH – THE CARPENTERS (12) - This successful brother/sister duo did several remakes and this was one of them, originally done by Herman's Hermits. I liked both versions about the same. 24: DREAM WEAVER – GARY WRIGHT (13) - Another one of my personal faves from back in the day. It has since lost some of its luster due to overplay, but it's still not bad. I do prefer his two other Top 40 hits, though. 23: LONELY NIGHT – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (11) - This song was OK. I do prefer it over the overplayed "Love Will Keep Us Together" and the hurl-inducing "Muskrat Love". It does not hold a candle to "Do That To Me One More Time", however. 22: RHIANNON (WILL YOU EVER WIN) – FLEETWOOD MAC (26) - This one looked like it could become their first Top Ten, but it just missed, peaking at #11 (it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, though, getting as high as #8). They would finally hit the Top Ten in the spring of the following year with "Go Your Own Way". 21: MISTY BLUE – DOROTHY MOORE (25) - This song was written in the mid-sixties, which definitely shows, as it sounds like a song from that era. The song's OK, but nothing exceptional. 20: LIVIN’ FOR THE WEEKEND – THE O’JAYS (20) - A good TGIF type song. It wasn't bad, but definitely not as good as "Love Train" or "Use Ta Be My Girl". 19: STRANGE MAGIC – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (22) - This was the third of a total of twenty hits for this English orchestral rock band. It was OK, but not one of my favorites from them, especially since I associate it with the royally depressing movie "The Virgin Suicides", (since it is played during the prom scene). 18: SARA SMILE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (23) - This was the one that started it all off for possibly the most successful duo of all time. It wasn't their best, but it was indeed passable. 17: TRYIN’ TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN – BARRY MANILOW (19) - One of the best balladeers of all time! And this was one of his best hits, IMO! 16: DECEMBER 1963 – THE FOUR SEASONS (14) - Wow, this might have had a hard fall from #1, but after that, it was gliding down the chart. I like this, but I am a little burned out on it, due to its new version being overplayed in 1994. 15: I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO - ABBA (17) - One of the most successful Swedish acts to hit the chart. This wasn't bad, but I prefer several others by them, especially "Dancing Queen" and "The Winner Takes It All". 14: SHANNON – HENRY GROSS (18) - And now we're up to the infamous "Dead Dog Dedication" song. This was written about the death of Beach Boy Carl Wilson's Irish Setter (and correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Beach Boys sing back-up on this one?) 13: GET UP & BOOGIE – SILVER CONVENTION (28) - Wow @ the huge jump! I guess this one was popular because its lyrics were so easy to learn. Despite its huge jump, the song did not quite make it to #1 like their first hit - it was held out of #1 for three weeks by "Silly Love Songs". OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKING IT TO THE STREETS - DOOBIE BROTHERS - Another song I remember quite well from 1976 (though one of the stations I listened to gave this one early action, so I associate it more with the spring). Definitely one of my all-time faves from them! 12: SILLY LOVE SONGS - WINGS (24) - Well, speak of the devil! This was the song that kept Silver Convention from collecting their second #1 hit. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but definitely not my favorite from them. 11: ONLY SIXTEEN – DR. HOOK (6) - Here's a song I don't remember, though I think the radio station might have played it a few times - it just didn't make an impression on me. It's an OK song, though, of course, my favorite of their Top 40 hits was "Better Love Next Time" about four years later. 10: LOVE HANGOVER – DIANA ROSS (29) - Wow! This was definitely on its way to #1 and was strong enough to interrupt Wings' stay at #1. Anyway, this song was so/so but I preferred her other 1976 #1. 9: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN (9) - SCHWING! This song had two chart runs - and it hit the Top Ten both times (on the R&R chart, anyway). But on both that chart and the Hot 100, it definitely hit the Top Ten the first time around and spent a long time in the Top 40! This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Queen. 8: FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE – ELVIN BISHOP (10) - Of course everyone knows that Mickey Thomas sang lead on this one. Not sure if Elvin Bishop did any back-up singing or just played the guitar. This was another song I remember from back in the day, and I still like it as much as I did then! 7: SHOW ME THE WAY – PETER FRAMPTON (8) - This was the first of three songs from what would IIRC become the #1 album of 1976, Frampton Comes Alive. It was my favorite of the three (although I have started liking "Do You Feel Like We Do" a little more than I did previously). 6: DISCO LADY – JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1) - Oddly enough, with all the songs I remember from back in the day, this wasn't one of them. The radio station that the contractors listened to (I forget which one), avoided R&B and disco songs. This one was both of them, so I don't remember hearing this one at all. EXTRA: BLUEBERRY HILL – FATS DOMINO - This was played as the final Optional Extra. 5: SWEET LOVE – THE COMMODORES (5) - I wasn't a huge fan of their earlier hits, like this, but did like many of their songs from the late-70s (as well as the early-80s, before Lionel Richie left the group to embark on a very successful solo career). 4: WELCOME BACK – JOHN SEBASTIAN (7) - This song was really burning up the chart. The song would hit #1 the following week in only its fifth week on and it seemed like a logical assumption that this song would spend several weeks on top but the top part of the chart was just too strong at this point for any song to spend more than a single week on top. Nevertheless, this was, IMO, one of the best TV show themes of all time! 3: BOOGIE FEVER – THE SYLVERS (4) - This was the first of two Top Five hits for this family group from Memphis and the biggest of the bunch, hitting #1 a few weeks later. This was also my favorite from them. 2: RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM – MAXINE NIGHTENGALE (3) - She had two Top 40 hits, both of which hit the Top Five. My favorite one, however, was her other one, called "Lead Me On", which charted in the summer of 1979. This one was also pretty good, but quite overplayed. 1: LET YOUR LOVE FLOW – THE BELLAMY BROTHERS (2) - This was the first of three "kitchen songs" to hit #1 (as the previous two #1s had a disco beat to them and, hence, were not played on whatever station the builders had on. The other two were "Welcome Back" and "Silly Love Songs". I was glad this song hit #1 as it was a great one!
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Post by Hervard on May 5, 2023 14:15:35 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 6, 2023
This week's presentation - May 9, 1987
Ah, I remember this as "the American Top 40 Flashback show that aired twice" (due to a last minute change in scheduling - but you know the whole story about that all too well, right?) So instead of staying home and taping my favorite songs off of the show, I went for a drive, around the Porter and Jasper County areas while listening to the show, so I'll probably have deja vu with that morning back in May, 2002. I don't even remember what I was doing when Flashback aired this show in 2001, but then again, I guess that doesn't really matter, right? Anyway...
Droppers: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (32) - Meh, no huge loss here, as I was never a big fan of this one - definitely my least favorite of their hits from Exposure. My favorite was the next release, "Point Of No Return", which was a big summer hit. SHIP OF FOOLS (SAVE ME FROM TOMORROW) - WORLD PARTY (28) - The only Top 40 hit for this London-based one-man band peaked two weeks before at #27. I liked it, but, as someone on these boards once observed, it sounded more like a fall hit than spring. I wonder if it would have done better had it been released about six months later.
40: JUST TO SEE HER - SMOKEY ROBINSON (debut) - This was his comeback hit, after being absent from the Top Ten for over five years. I like this and "One Heartbeat", which would be his next hit, about the same (I used to like the latter a lot better, but now that I've listened to a tape containing that song multiple times, that sort of dimmed my like for that song. 39: FASCINATED - COMPANY B (debut) - I'm surprised this one didn't go Top Ten; it was definitely representative of the dance/pop music of the mid-late 80s. It's a great song and a shame it didn't get any higher on the chart that it did. 38: LEAN ON ME - CLUB NOUVEAU (21) - This was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it wasted no time getting to #1! It's still not one of my favorite songs, but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original by Bill Withers - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! 37: MIDNIGHT BLUE - LOU GRAMM (12) - Wow, what a big drop! Sort of out of place for 1987. Moreover, it had taken a small drop the previous week (from #9, to where it fell from its peak of #5. Computer malfunction, perhaps - who knows? Anyway, after a decade of heading up Foreigner, Gramm decided to give a solo career a try. This was his first solo hit to make the charts. It was a good one, but I preferred the other two, both from his second solo album Long Hard Look. 36: YOU CAN CALL ME AL - PAUL SIMON (37) - One of several 1987 songs that charted twice. This song barely fell short of the Top 40 during its original release in the fall of 1986. After Simon's current album, Graceland, won a Grammy for Album of the Year, Paul decided to re-release the song and this time around it got as high as #23. It was a good song IMO. 35: HEARTBREAK BEAT - PSYCHEDELIC FURS (36) - Interesting how their song "Love My Way" is the only song from them that tends to get much in the way of recurrent airplay, yet it didn't hit the Top 40 (though it didn't miss by much, peaking at #44 in 1983). This song finally put them in the Top 40, though. This was a great song, though I preferred said 1983 hit. 34: IN TOO DEEP - GENESIS (39) - This was the fifth and final single from their most successful singles album Invisible Touch. It is my second favorite of those singles behind the title track (but you already knew that, right?) 33: DIAMONDS - HERB ALPERT f/JANET JACKSON & LISA KEITH (38) - Not sure whether or not the success of this song, which was never one of my favorites, affected the chart performance of "The Pleasure Principle" (whose release I heard was delayed a few weeks so as not to cause competition with this song) 32: GET THAT LOVE - THOMPSON TWINS (33) - The only Top 40 hit from their sixth studio album "Close To The Bone". The "Twins" had clearly had their day in the sun, as this song only got to #31. As you know probably all too well, their biggest hit, "Hold Me Now", is my favorite song from them, but this just might be a close second, as it's a great one as well! 31: MEET ME HALFWAY - KENNY LOGGINS (35) - One of many movie songs that Loggins charted with. This song would peak at #11 in June and managed to place on the Top 100 of 1987 (which was a significant feat, given how fast the charts moved in 1987!) OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONLY IN MY DREAMS - DEBBIE GIBSON - The breakthrough hit for one of the biggest teen music stars from this era. It was a good song - my second favorite song from Out Of The Blue behind the #1 "Foolish Beat" (though I did rather like the title track as well). 30: DOMINOES - ROBBIE NEVIL (17) - He'd charted early in the year with a hit that peaked in the runner-up position and at first, it looked like he might collect his second Top Ten hit, but this song ran out of steam at #14. Too bad, as this was my favorite of his 1987 hits. 29: HEAD TO TOE - LISA LISA & CULT JAM (40) - They dropped Full Force, Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou for this one (but they were still featured on at least another song on the same album), and to number one this song went. It was OK, but I was never too crazy about it. I preferred the next release "Lost In Emotion", which, of course, also went to #1. 28: THE RIGHT THING - SIMPLY RED (31) - Their first hit from their sophomore album, Men And Women, which did not fare quite as well as their debut album Picture Book. This song did not get any higher than #27, which I thought was a shame, as it's a great song! 27: COME AS YOU ARE - PETER WOLF (15) - The former lead singer of the J. Geils Band had two solo hits in 1984 and was back with his second album, to which this was the title track. It was a great song! 26: WALKING DOWN YOUR STREET - BANGLES (11) - The band that had a thing about walking back in 1987, as illustrated by the titles of their two hits from that year. Anyway, you know that I prefer this over the other one, though I did prefer their first two hits from the Different Light album, but this one’s still a great song! 25: DAY-IN DAY-OUT - DAVID BOWIE (34) - His first of two Top 40 singles from his Never Let Me Down album, and, as we all know, those are my two favorite songs from Bowie, whose music I was never generally a big fan of. I like both songs about the same, which you probably already knew as well 24: IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL - CHICAGO (30) - The third release from the Chicago 18 album maintained a steady climb up the chart, en route to #17. I thought this song was somewhat underrated; it should have hit the Top Ten just like their other 1987 hit "Will You Still Love Me". 23: SE LA - LIONEL RICHIE (27) - This was Lionel's last Top 40 hit before taking a five-year break from the charts. It was a pretty good song, with a reggae feel to it, but definitely not his best. 22: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE - BON JOVI (29) - This song demonstrated the band's country/western side, a format that they would switch to a decade later. This was a good song, but I preferred "Never Say Goodbye", an album cut from Slippery When Wet that was getting moderate radio airplay around this time. 21: SERIOUS - DONNA ALLEN (22) - ARGH, how many times does she have to say, “TALK, talk about serious”? Enough is enough! Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of this song. 20: NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (9) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I saw in the theater about a month later. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough". OPTIONAL EXTRA: POINT OF NO RETURN - EXPOSE - Wow, I mentioned this song earlier and here it is! As I mentioned, this was my favorite of their Exposure singles, and possibly my favorite of their upbeat songs as well. 19: STONE LOVE - KOOL & THE GANG (10) - This song had peaked at #10 the week before, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be their last Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but my favorite of the Forever singles was "Special Way", which was a Top Ten AC hit in December of that year. 18: I KNOW WHAT I LIKE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (24) - This song just barely kept their Top Ten streak going, as it peaked at #9 and spent but a single week in the Top Ten. It was a good song, but definitely not his best. EXTRA: DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME – SIMPLE MINDS - The story to tie in with this song was an inspiring one about how the band helped to free a political prisoner through the Amnesty International organization. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. 17: ALWAYS - ATLANTIC STARR (26) - This song became a very popular wedding song and was a far cry from their last Top Ten hit, which was about infidelity. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 16: NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU - GLENN MEDEIROS (21) - The first Top 40 hit for this high school student from Kaui. As mentioned earlier, due to how fast the charts moved in 1987, there were very few songs that made the year-end survey that did not quite make the Top 20 - two to be exact. We already heard one of them, "Meet Me Halfway" back at #26. This was the more successful of those, peaking at #12 in June. A great song, IMO, and one of my favorite songs of the whole year. 15: RIGHT ON TRACK - THE BREAKFAST CLUB (20) - The only Top 40 song for John, Claire, Andy, Brian, and Allison, written on March 24, 1984 as they served a Saturday detention. Unfortunately, due to legal technicalities, Principal Vernon received all the royalties. 14: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON - KIM WILDE (23) - This song ended up breaking the record for the longest span of time between the original version of the song hitting #1 and a remake hitting #1 - a record that had been broken several times over the past year and had been held for over a decade by "Please Mr. Postman". As I've said several times before, I prefer this version over the Supremes and Vanilla Fudge versions, though my all-time favorite Kim Wilde song would be her near-miss song "You Came", from 1988. 13: THE FINER THINGS - STEVE WINWOOD (8) - Back In The High Life was definitely Winwood's most successful album as far as singles go, as there were four of them that hit the Top 40. This was the third and there was no "Third Single Syndrome" here, as this was the second most successful song from the album behind the #1 "Higher Love". This was very possibly my favorite song from the album, though there are several other songs by him that I prefer. 12: WHAT'S GOING ON - CYNDI LAUPER (14) - This was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's classic Top Ten hit from 1971, when Lauper was still in high school. I remember hating this song when it was on the charts. Now, I like it, even better than the original. 11: TALK DIRTY TO ME - POISON (19) - The breakthrough hit from this glam rock band from Pennsylvania did pretty well, hitting the Top Ten this week. I liked it, but wasn't quite my favorite song from them. I generally preferred their power ballads. 10: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) - ARETHA FRANKLIN & GEORGE MICHAEL (7) - A one time pairing of the Queen Of Soul and the former lead singer of Wham! - and a great pairing at that, since it hit #1 several weeks earlier. Definitely one of my favorites from both artists! OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) - WHITNEY HOUSTON - This song was poise to jump onto the Hot 100 all the way up at #38 the following week. It was clear where this song was headed! This song ended up as R&R's #1 song, which was great, though at the time this song was charting, I was sick of hearing it every time I turned on the radio. 9: BIG LOVE - FLEETWOOD MAC (18) - Their first of five singles from "Tango In The Night", with Lindsey Buckingham handling the lead vocals. It was OK, but my favorite song from the album was the next single, "Seven Wonders", featuring Stevie Nicks singing lead. 8: THE LADY IN RED - CHRIS DE BURGH (16) - Chris had charted a few times earlier in the 80s, but this is the song that put him on the map. I loved this song when it was on the chart, but the stations I listened to back in the day all but played it out and I became quite tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, but I wouldn't want to hear it every day. LDD: HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY - CHICAGO - Wow, what a tearjerking dedication. It was from an 18-year old girl to her father, who she had hurt with her rebellious attitude several years before and now, she was full of remorse. I remember crying when I first heard this one, since it sort of reminded me of the way I acted around my Mom over the past few years. Fortunately, by then (when I heard the dedication), I had shaped up somewhat. 7: HEAT OF THE NIGHT - BRYAN ADAMS (13) - I liked this song, though my least favorite single from Into The Fire (probably because the other two didn't get anywhere near as much airplay - in fact, I don't think I ever heard either of them outside of countdown shows - or radio station "late night fights" (Victim Of Love was a winner on the latter of the two for several nights in a row on U93). 6: SIGN '☮️' THE TIMES - PRINCE (5) - This song was OK, but it was rather monotonous. Definitely not his best song by any means. 5: DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER - CROWDED HOUSE (3) - Two members of the band Split Enz (which had a minor hit in 1980 called "I Got You") helped to form this band who had two Top Ten hits in 1987. I thought both were great songs, though I preferred their follow-up, "Something So Strong", which sounded sort of like a more upbeat version of this song. 4: LA ISLA BONITA - MADONNA (4) - The fifth hit from True Blue was peaking at #4 for a third and final week. It was the final song from the album, but Madonna was at work on her next project, the movie "Who's That Girl", which would spawn two Top Ten hits later in the year. This was a good song; indeed had a tropical island feel. 3: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU - U2 (6) - The first of three hits from one of the biggest albums of the 80s, The Joshua Tree. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred the other two singles. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEART AND SOUL - T'PAU - A one-hit wonder here. I never particularly cared for this song, however. I preferred the Huey Lewis song of the same name (plus pretty much any rendition of the popular piano piece) 2: LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE - JODY WATLEY (2) - This song came very close to hitting #1, but it was stuck at #2 for four weeks, behind the Cutting Crew and U2, the latter of which leapfrogged over this song the following week, The song was OK, but I preferred a few of her others, including ones that she did as part of Shalamar. 1: (I JUST) DIED IN YOUR ARMS - CUTTING CREW (1) - The first of three Top 40 hits for this band from London - all from their debut album Broadcast. This one was OK, but quite overplayed, both back in 1987 and nowadays on oldies stations. I preferred their other two hits.
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Post by mrjukebox on May 5, 2023 14:19:17 GMT -5
"Happy Days" ran on ABC from 1974-1984.
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Post by slf on May 6, 2023 3:30:26 GMT -5
"Happy Days" ran on ABC from 1974-1984. To clarify, "Happy Days" ran for eleven seasons. It premiered in early January 1974 as a mid-season replacement.
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Post by mga707 on May 6, 2023 12:33:26 GMT -5
"Happy Days" ran on ABC from 1974-1984. To clarify, "Happy Days" ran for eleven seasons. It premiered in early January 1974 as a mid-season replacement. ...and for that first half-season, and the following full '74-'75 one, it was actually a decent show. With Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" as it's theme. By fall '75, when the Pratt and McClain song replaced Haley, it went downhill IMO. Too much 'Fonz', and a different 'feel' to the show all around. Made it more popular, but lost me as a viewer.
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Post by chrislc on May 6, 2023 20:58:21 GMT -5
To clarify, "Happy Days" ran for eleven seasons. It premiered in early January 1974 as a mid-season replacement. ...and for that first half-season, and the following full '74-'75 one, it was actually a decent show. With Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" as it's theme. By fall '75, when the Pratt and McClain song replaced Haley, it went downhill IMO. Too much 'Fonz', and a different 'feel' to the show all around. Made it more popular, but lost me as a viewer. The live audience version as presented by Garry Marshall became really annoying to me. Too much theater-type shouting by the cast made it unrealistic. Also the show seemed to become more and more targeted at teens, so naturally most of us outgrew any affinity we had for the show. But I have to give credit to Henry Winkler for absolutely carrying that show on his back for the last few years. He did a great job. I only know this because of the reruns I saw 40 years later.
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Post by mga707 on May 6, 2023 21:43:55 GMT -5
]The live audience version as presented by Garry Marshall became really annoying to me. Too much theater-type shouting by the cast made it unrealistic. Also the show seemed to become more and more targeted at teens, so naturally most of us outgrew any affinity we had for the show. Yes, the show changed a lot from the initial concept and that first season-and-a-half's worth of episodes. I'm probably one of the few who recall seeing the February 1972 "Love, American Style" segment titled "Love and the Television Set" that was the inspiration for the series. Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Anson Williams were in their series roles, but different actors (Harold Gould and Susan Neher) played Dad Howard and kid sister Joanie. No Fonzie at all.
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Post by trekkielo on May 7, 2023 0:08:36 GMT -5
]The live audience version as presented by Garry Marshall became really annoying to me. Too much theater-type shouting by the cast made it unrealistic. Also the show seemed to become more and more targeted at teens, so naturally most of us outgrew any affinity we had for the show. Yes, the show changed a lot from the initial concept and that first season-and-a-half's worth of episodes. I'm probably one of the few who recall seeing the February 1972 "Love, American Style" segment titled "Love and the Television Set" that was the inspiration for the series. Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Anson Williams were in their series roles, but different actors (Harold Gould and Susan Neher) played Dad Howard and kid sister Joanie. No Fonzie at all. Some of the show's segments also served as pilots for proposed television series. Many never made it beyond the pilot stage, but two resulted in a series: On February 11, 1972, the show presented the animated segment "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father." This would become the pilot to a first-run syndicated animated series by Hanna-Barbera, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, which debuted that fall. The same pilot was later produced with a live cast (starring Van Johnson), but with no success. The show was the first primetime animated sitcom to run for more than a single season since fellow Hanna-Barbera show The Flintstones more than 10 years earlier, and would be the only one until The Simpsons 17 years later. The show was inspired by All in the Family. Two weeks later, on February 25, 1972, the show aired a segment titled "Love and the Television Set", a story about Richie Cunningham, his family and friends. The premise and characters were later used for the 1974 television series Happy Days, and the episode would later be recognized as a de facto pilot for the series. (It had originally been produced as a pilot for New Family in Town, which was not picked up). For syndication, the segment was retitled "Love and the Happy Days." Happy Days, in turn, launched an extensive franchise of spinoffs into the 1980s. PS-Ironically, Tom Bosley would voice Harry Boyle for Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972-1974) then right afterwards he'd play Mr. C on Happy Days (1974-1984) I remember watching both back sometime around the early 80s, KCOP-TV & KABC-TV, Casey Kasem guest starred in one episode of Wait Till Your Father Gets Home!
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Post by Hervard on May 13, 2023 6:33:39 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 13, 2023
This week's presentation - May 5, 1979
Droppers: I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (33) - She was in the midst of her most successful chart era, with the first of four Top 20 hits during that time. It was a great song - not sure which of her 1979 hits I prefer. LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (26) - One of my favorite songs in the world at the time, and it still sounds great today! Glad that this song hit the Top Ten, indeed! LIVIN' IT UP (FRIDAY NIGHT) - BELL & JAMES (22) - An ideal song for the weekend!
LW#3: KNOCK ON WOOD – AMII STEWART LW#2: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB LW#1: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE 40: I WHO HAVE NOTHING – SYLVESTER (debut) - Well, the third time wasn't exactly the charm for this remake, as the other two versions of this hit the Top 30 but this one barely made the Top 40, spending two weeks in the anchor position. I'm not sure if I've heard any of the other versions of this, so I can't say which one I prefer. This one was so/so, but nothing exceptional. 39: OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL – BOB SEGER (debut) - This song became more well-known after it was featured in Risky Business during Tom Cruise's famous dance in his skivvies. I was never a big fan of the song, though. 38: GET USED TO IT – ROGER VOUDOURIS (40) - The only Top 40 hit from this man who, sadly, is no longer with us. It was a great song! LDD: EVERYTHING I OWN - BREAD - This song definitely fit the dedication. It was to a guy who the author married when she was a mere six years old. Of course, it was a mock wedding, but, based on how many people attended, it might as well have been a real one, LOL! 37: DON’T YOU WRITE HER OFF – McGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN (39) - The only Top 40 hit by the "new Byrds". The song was pretty good, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 36: SWEET LUI LOUISE - IRONHORSE (37) - They were pretty much a Bachman-Turner Overdrive spinoff. Of course, they were nowhere near as successful, as this was their only Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of BTO's Top 40 hits. 35: DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - Even though I preferred "A Little More Love", this was also a great song! 34: ROLLER – APRIL WINE (34) - The second of three Top 40 hits here in the States from this Canadian band. It was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Just Between You And Me", which would chart two years later. 33: SUCH A WOMAN - TYCOON (38) - The only Top 40 hit for this sextet from New York. See my second statement in my comment for #37. ARCHIVES: TOP OF THE WORLD – THE CARPENTERS - This song sounded a little like a kiddie song, but it was passable. Still, not their best song by any means. 32: ROXANNE – THE POLICE (32) - Meh, I don't really care for their 70s hit, which were more rock-based than their later hits. I actually prefer "Every Breath You Take" over this one, which says a lot. 31: HOT NUMBER - FOXY (35) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but this one was actually pretty good. 30: HAPPINESS – THE POINTER SISTERS (31) - Interesting story about how their career was launched after a very rough start. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred their song from earlier in the year. 29: CRAZY LOVE – THE ALLMAN BROTHERS (30) - This song featured their usual southern rock sound. It was a pretty good song. 28: SULTANS OF SWING – DIRE STRAITS (15) - Their heyday was definitely the mid-80s, but their first hit was actually a few years earlier. Of their charted hits, this would be my favorite. 27: TRAGEDY – THE BEE GEES (13) - They were still on a hot streak with number one songs. This was one of them, and definitely one of their best, IMO! 26: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST – RANDY VANWARMER (28) - This one always reminded me of when my former gf and I broke up. Speaking of which, I saw her today for the first time in God knows how long, and we actually had a conversation - now the last time THAT happened was before we broke up, over eight years ago. Seems longer than that. But I digress - now on with the countdown... 25: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY – BAD COMPANY (27) - I remember hearing this one on the jukebox near the concession stands at the beach, where I went nearly everyday back in the summer of 1979. It's not bad, but I prefer a few others from them. 24: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (36) - This was the biggest mover on the entire countdown, yet I didn't really start hearing it on the radio until about a month later (since that's when WLS started playing it). When I first heard it, it quickly became my favorite song in the world, and stayed that way for a long time. I still like it, but prefer a few others from them. 23: RENEGADE - STYX (25) - Another song I remember hearing on the radio a lot back in the day (since Styx is from Chicago, WLS tended to play out a lot of their hits). It was a good, summertime sounding song, but definitely not their best. ARCHIVES: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL – CHARLIE RICH - EWWW, GEEZER!! No, seriously, the song wasn't that bad, but I'll never forgive it for locking Elton John out of the top spot. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE - One of the most overplayed songs from the summer of 1979, but still a pretty good song IMO. 22: DISCO NIGHTS – G.Q. (24) - One of many faceless disco hits on the countdown this week. It wasn't too bad 21: I GOT MY MIND MADE UP – INSTANT FUNK (21) - Another faceless disco song, and a quite repetitive one at that. Not a big fan. 20: HOT STUFF – DONNA SUMMER (29) - A disco hat trick here, only this one was far from being faceless; Donna Summer was a very familiar face, especially in 1979. This was one of the biggest disco classics ever! It was a good one and has held up quite well despite overplay. EXTRA: EVE OF DESTRUCTION – BARRY McGuire - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of protest songs... 19: PRECIOUS LOVE – BOB WELCH (19) - Though I preferred Welch's two Top 20 hits from the year before, this was a good one as well. 18: LOVE BALLAD – GEORGE BENSON (18) - We can add this and "Lady Love Me" to the recently revived thread about songs by the same artist that sound alike. It was a good one, though not quite his best. 17: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT – THE BEE GEES (23) - This would stretch the Bee Gees #1 hit streak to six, although there has been talk about there being payola involved in that, but regardless, it was a pretty good song, though not my favorite song from them. 16: BLOW AWAY – GEORGE HARRISON (17) - The only hit single from Harrison's self-titled 1979 album (that went anywhere, anyway). It was a great song IMO and quite underrated (though it did hit the Top Ten in R&R). 15: LOVE TAKES TIME - ORLEANS (20) - Another somewhat underrated song - after two Top Ten hits earlier in the decade, this one just barely missed, peaking at #11. 14: LOVE IS THE ANSWER – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (16) - Sadly, this was their final Top 40 hit. Too bad, as all of their hits were great IMO, this one included. I always thought the message in this song was inspirational, so it was no surprise when Christian singer Cindy Morgan did a (great!) cover of this song about twenty years later. 13/LDD: I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR (5) - Another great disco classic, and one that got a lot of mileage on the charts. This song fit the dedication, though it wasn't in the context of an abusive relationship, but rather from the shame of a young girl who chased around a guy who, in actuality, didn't want to have anything to do with her. ARCHIVES: TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE - This one has gotten a "No. Just no" in the past, but I guess it's not that bad - it's just far from being my favorite Jim Croce song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO - Two other songs to add to said songs by the same artist that sound alike thread - this and "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)". Both are great songs, and I'm unsure which if the two I prefer. 12: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) – THE JACKSONS (14) - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of this one. As I've mentioned before, their earlier material was their best IMO. 11: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (7) - This was their biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, as it is my all-time favorite from them! 10: HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER – SISTER SLEDGE (11) - A very jiggy song! Not sure if I prefer this or "We Are Family". 9: TAKE ME HOME - CHER (12) - I generally preferred her 90s hits, but this one was a great one as well! 8: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (6) - My fascination for this song has dimmed somewhat over the years. I still like it, though. 7: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (8) - I'm not generally a big fan of them, but I actually liked this song. 6: IN THE NAVY – THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (10) - See my opinion for song #7, because it fits this song as well. 5: STUMBLIN’ IN – SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (6) - Good song, though rather faceless. 4: KNOCK ON WOOD – AMII STEWART (3) - As a superstitious person, I find myself doing this quite a lot. As for the song, however, I'm not a big fan. 3: MUSIC BOX DANCER – FRANK MILLS (4) - This song appeared to have peaked at #4 the week before, but it managed to climb a spot higher. After this, the song free-fell down the chart. It was one of my favorite instrumental songs of all-time and the song title definitely fit - it indeed sounded like a music box set to dance music. 2: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (1) - The first of four #1 songs by them. I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture", but I liked this and "The Tide Is High" about the same. 1: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB (2) - Casey mentioned how this song made it to the top in just its eighth week. It would spend three more weeks on top, and deservedly so, as it was a great song!
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Post by Hervard on May 13, 2023 6:33:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 13, 2023
This week's presentation - May 14, 1988
ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (40) - This song just narrowly missed the top spot, but the act at #1 was just too strong for him. But he would also eventually hit #1 - in fact, he did with his next hit. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. RITUAL - DAN REED NETWORK (38) - The only Top 40 hit for this punk rock quintet from Portland. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. ROCKET 2 U - THE JETS (34) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. MAN IN THE MIRROR - MICHAEL JACKSON (31) - Michael was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had four from his Bad album alone, which was a record at the time. He would secure the record even more with a fifth #1 two months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best. I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (20) - Interesting how this song fared better on the charts then the original by the Beatles. While the latter peaked at #14 back in 1964, Tiffany's cover did twice as well, getting as high as #7. As for this song - though I tended to like her more mellow hits like "Could've Been" and "All This Time", I liked this one - by far, my favorite of her two mid-sixties remakes (since the other one was way overplayed). ONE STEP UP - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (19) - Two songs falling out from the Top 20? I thought this was 1988, not 1982. But seriously, I have mentioned that this song sounds like something Gordon Lightfoot would sing. It was the third and final Top 40 song from Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love album. In fact, it would be his last Top 40 song for about four years. A good song, IMO.
40: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - This one would set (or rather further secure) a record, as being the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album - one of several rock-based songs by Jackson. 39: DA’BUTT (FROM THE “SCHOOL DAZE” SOUNDTRACK) – E.U. (EXPERIENCE UNLIMITED) (debut) - From the soundtrack to the film School Daze, this was a great party-type song that I remember hearing at many of the school dances I attended in high school. 38: NITE AND DAY – AL B. SURE! (debut) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam - much better than his upbeat songs (like "Off On Your Own Girl"). I liked the synthesizer used in this song. 37: NIGHTIME – PRETTY POISON (39) - Melodically, this song was more or less a laid-back version of "Catch Me I'm Falling", their Top Ten hit from late 1987. I thought it was a good song, but can see why it didn't fare too well on the chart. 36: I WISH I HAD A GIRL – HENRY LEE SUMMER (23) - Ah, a fellow Hoosier here! I liked this song, but preferred his next single, "Darlin' Danielle Don't". Too bad that song didn't make the Top 40. 35: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (debut) - I'll bet this was a highlight for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, too, as well as the follow-up "Back To The Cave", which failed to chart 34: SAY IT AGAIN – JERMAINE STEWART (27) - Had this one been released about five to ten years before, it might have gotten higher than #27, as it sounds a little more like something from earlier in the 1980s. Of his two Top 40 hits, this was my favorite. 33: ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (debut) - This was Prince's last hit for about a year, before he came back with three songs from the Batman soundtrack in 1989. This song was OK, but far from being his best. 32: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY AND THE RANGE (debut) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is. 31: I’M STILL SEARCHING – GLASS TIGER (37) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is. 30: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (35) - This was her first of two Top 40 hits - and she almost had a third hit, her duet with George Lamond called "No Matter What", but that one ran out of gas at #49 - too bad, as that was my favorite song from her. This, however, was a close second, as it was a great one! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY - BOBBY McFERRIN - I occasionally hear this song on WNSN's Totally 80s Weekends. Sure was played ad nauseum during its chart run, wasn't it? At that point, I didn't care if I never heard the song again, but now it's not so bad. 29: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (36) - There were several instances in 1988 of the final hit from an album having the most chart successs. This could have been yet another example, as this was the only #1 song from Out Of The Blue, but while she was still hot, she decided to release a fifth single - which didn't even hit the Top 20 (didn't upset me too terribly, as I wasn't crazy about the song). Such was not the case with this great song, though - this one most definitely one of her best hits ever. Glad they didn't have that sloppy edit near the end - the one that was used several times during the song's chart run. Totally screwed up the continuity of the song! 28: ONE GOOD REASON – PAUL CARRACK (29) - It looked like this song was somewhat riding on the coattails of his Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Don't Shed A Tear", as this song only got as high as #28 the following week. I liked both songs about the same, but my favorite of Carrack's solo hits was his AC hit from 1997 "For Once In Our Lives". 27: WE ALL SLEEP ALONE - CHER (32) - Cher had one Top Ten hit on R&R and one Top Ten hit on the Hot 100 in 1988 - only with different songs. This one hit the Top Ten on the former by the skin of its teeth, and peaked at #14 on the Hot 100, where she'd hit the Top Ten earlier in the year with "I Found Someone", which peaked at #12 on R&R. I preferred this one, though neither one was one of my favorites from Cher. I like songs like "Believe" and "Strong Enough" better. 26: GIRLFRIEND – PEBBLES (17) - This one was much more successful than Bam-Bam's "Boyfriend". But seriously, this one was sort of just there, IMO - I didn't like it or hate it. I did like "Mercedes Boy", though. 25: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (33) - This is another example of the aforementioned "last single with most success", although it would be limited to songs that hit the Top 40 (as there actually was a fifth release from Magic - the song "Sendin' All My Love" peaked at #88 that August). Anyway, the first three singles from the album hit the Top 20, but this song was the only Top Five. This was one of my favorite songs from this family band, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". 24: DEVIL INSIDE – INXS (12) - This song just missed becoming the first song with the word "Devil" in the title to hit #1 (and as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet, has it?) Well, anyway, this was my second favorite INXS song from 1988 (behind "New Sensation") but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason. LDD: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR - This was their biggest hit that wasn't associated with any of the Rocky movies. It was a great song - one that became somewhat popular in the LDD department, like this week, from a college student who was searching for the perfect girl, who was right in front of him all the time. 23: STRANGE BUT TRUE – TIMES TWO (28) - A rather faceless band, but a great song! I felt it was underrated. 22: PAMELA - TOTO (23) - This was their second hit with a woman's name. I wasn't a big fan of this song, since, at the time, there was someone in my life by that name that I wasn't too fond of. I definitely preferred their other "woman's name" hit (and so did the Pop audience, as that song spent five weeks in the runner-up position, while this song didn't climb any higher than here at #22). 21: CIRCLE IN THE SAND – BELINDA CARLISLE (30) - This was Belinda's fourth and final Top Ten hit. This one was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOOK AWAY - CHICAGO - Ah, the song that was the top song of the wrong year. Many people were irked about the song winning the gold, since the song was more of a 1988 song (in fact, besides peaking in 1988 and spending all but one of its Top Ten weeks during that year, the song only spent four weeks in the Top 40 in the calendar year of 1989), but I didn't mind at all. Besides, Chicago had been charting for close to 20 years; I was happy for them - really happy for them - that they finally had a top song of the year (especially since I don't think they ever even made the Top Ten of any year). And, of their three #1 songs, that was definitely my favorite. 20: MY GIRL - SUAVE (26) - The fourth rendition of this song that was first a hit for the Temptations a year before this LA singer was even born. It was a great rendition of the song, updated to fit the late-80s more. That said, I'm somewhat surprised that it did not get any higher than #20 on the charts. 19: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (15) - The spoken part at the beginning was apparently inspired by "Get Off My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones. But it apparently worked, as it made it to #1 - and was R&R's biggest CHR hit of 1988 - and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite of his upbeat hits. 18: DREAMING – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (24) - They had a total of four hits on the charts, and this was their second biggest behind "If You Leave". It was pretty much a toss-up between this one and "So In Love" as my favorite song by them. 17: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (25) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. This one was more or less a watered-down version of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I preferred the next hit from the Whenever You Need Somebody album, "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". The title track was also a great song, but that one wasn't released here in the states, which I thought was a shame (though as I recall, that was a decent-sized hit on the dance chart). 16: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES – DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES (21) - This dup was indeed very successful, having been charting for twelve years at this point (though they had been absent from the chart for three years as Daryl pursued a brief solo career). This, however, would end up being their final Top Ten hit. This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. 15: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (7) - This one was mediocre at best. It paled in comparison to her debut hit "Tell It To My Heart", IMO. 14: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (18) - Like the other Brenda on the chart this week, she had two Top 40 hits. Actually, that was all she had on the Hot 100 as well - I guess they didn't promote her 1990 AC hit "Stop Running Away" to Top 40 radio. Not sure if I preferred this one or "So Good, So Right" - both are great songs! 13: TWO OCCASIONS – THE DEELE (16) - Ah, the song that mentions all four seasons (though it skips around somewhat). This song used to be the "Nighty Night" song for Open House Party with John Garabedian. I liked it, but preferred several songs that Deele member Babyface did on his own later on down the line. 12: WAIT – WHITE LION (13) - This hard rock band had two Top 40 hits, both of them Top Tens. I preferred this one (by a wide margin) over the other single, the maudlin "When The Children Cry", which I am SO glad they didn't choose as one of the updated Optional Extras! 11: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (4) - This was her seventh and last in her streak of #1 songs (which, at the time, was a record), as her next release, "Love Will Save The Day", in fact, barely touched the Top Ten. This was the first of Whitney's slow songs to be produced by Narada Michael Walden (as Michael Masser produced the other three and Whitney's upbeat #1s were all Narada Michael Walden productions). Of those seven #1s, this was my favorite, so I'm glad that this song made it all the way to the top! OPTIONAL EXTRA: BAD MEDICINE - They made it two in a row, as far as successful singles albums, as New Jersey, though it did not sell quite as well as Slippery When Wet, generated more singles – a total of five Top Ten hits. This was the first of them, and to number one it went. It wasn't bad, but definitely not one of my favorite songs from them. 10: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - FOREIGNER (11) - I usually like their slow songs, but this one was kind of dull (and I read somewhere that Lou Gramm wasn't a fan of this one either - which had something to do with how under-sung this was). 9: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (12) - This Aussie band was a two-hit wonder on the charts, as they had two Top 20 hits in 1988. They had peaked at #14 early in the year with "Crazy" and got as high as #7 with this one. They were both great songs, IMO. LDD: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD – LOUIS ARMSTRONG - Of course, this song's inclusion in “GOOOOOOD MOOOOORNING VIETNAAAAAAM!!!!” was responsible for it briefly recharting back in March. It was a great song, and has aged quite well. Anyone remember the version of this song that has Kenny G's sax playing mixed in? 8: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (10) - Of her four Top 40 hits, this was the biggest. Wasn't quite one of my favorites, and it was pretty much rehashed in her next Top 40 hit "I Wanna Have Some Fun". I preferred "Touch Me" and her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You". 7: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (3) - I don't think I ever got tired of this song. I wasn't sure it was going to be a big hit, due to its weak initial chart performance, but it picked up steam and became their biggest hit ever, a boasting right it would retain for ten more years. 6: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – PET SHOP BOYS (6) - Of the four versions that I've heard (of which Casey played a montage on the April 9 show), this one was far and away my favorite. The other versions were so bland (though I've kind of warmed up to Willie Nelson's version over the years). There was something about the techno beat to this song that made it such a great rendition of the song. 5: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (5) - The second of two Springsteen hits on this week's countdown! Of course, Springsteen himself originally recorded this one - wasn't featured on any of his albums, but it was the B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" (as well as a concert favorite). I actually preferred this version of the song, though only slightly - I like both versions. 4: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (14) - When "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was. Not only that, but it went all the way to #1! The song was also one of very few to top the chart for more than two weeks in 1988. How I miss the days when the charts moved fast! There was absolutely no need for a recurrent rule. 3: WISHING WELL - TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY (1) - Like "Angel", this was another song that started off kind of slow (moving 40-35 in its first two weeks on AT40). But it did not stop until it reached the top. It was a great song, but I slightly preferred "Sign Your Name". 2: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (8) - I know three songs by them - their two Top 40 hits, as well as their AC hit "Turn Back The Clock". Not sure if I prefer this song or the AC hit (as I like both), but I preferred both over "I Don't Want To Be A Hero". For some reason, that one never did much for me. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WILD WILD WEST - THE ESCAPE CLUB - The video for this song always creeped me out – especially the mirror-imaged legs. The song, however, was pretty good. 1: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (2) - Their first and only #1 hit (though Gloria would log two more #1s billed as a solo artist). I liked this song, but I still prefer a few others from Gloria Estefan, both with the Miami Sound Machine and solo. I liked the story about various artists’ names that Casey mispronounced (like Irene Cara, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Sade, and Ric Ocasek).
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Post by mrjukebox on May 13, 2023 18:59:03 GMT -5
One of the background singers on "I Still Believe" was Mariah Carey-Ten years later,Mariah released her own version & it peaked at # 4.
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Post by Hervard on May 20, 2023 10:27:28 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 20, 2023
This week's presentation - May 20, 1978
Dropper: FLASH LIGHT - PARLIAMENT (27) - Not a bad song, but not a huge loss.
40: STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES (28) - This was this song's last week in the Top 40, but what a run it had, didn't it? It lasted in the 40 for 22 weeks - some #1 songs didn't even spend that long on the Hot 100! It was indeed my favorite of the Bee Gees' upbeat songs from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack! 39: EGO - ELTON JOHN (34) - One of his less successful singles, only getting as high as #34. I myself thought it was a pretty decent song. 38: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC - SHAUN CASSIDY (31) - Cassidy's fourth and final Top 40 hit and, like the first one, it was a remake of a hit from the sixties. It was pretty good, but I preferred the original by the Lovin' Sp00nful, 37: TUMBLIN' DICE - LINDA RONSTADT (debut) - This was a rare instance in which there was only a single debut on the entire countdown. In fact, this was only the second time in AT40 history in which that happened. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but definitely not one of my favorites from her or the Rolling Stones (who, of course, did the original). 36: LET'S ALL CHANT - MICHAEL ZAGER BAND (38) - Meh, let's not and say we did. 35: OUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (29) - This was her third and last Top Ten hit of the 1970s. It was my favorite of the three - a great song! 34: HEARTLESS - HEART (39) - Not a bad song, but I preferred most of their other hits. 33: RUNNIN' ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE (30) - This song looked like it might become his second Top Ten hit, but it just narrowly missed. That's too bad, as it was IMO one of his best hits ever! 32: BECAUSE THE NIGHT - THE PATTY SMITH GROUP (37) - I'm more familiar with the 1993 cover of this song by 10,000 Maniacs, which doesn't sound all that different from this one (except for one of the chords in the chorus). Not sure which of the two I prefer, but, due to overplay of the cover, I'm still burned out on the song overall. 31: DANCE WITH ME - PETER BROWN (36) - Typical late-70s disco - nothing special. 30: EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE - ROBERT PALMER (35) - Here is a song that charted twice - first in 1978, then, I believe, a slightly remixed version was released in 1992 (though that one was more of an AC hit than pop). Considering I'm not a big Robert Palmer fan, this one was actually pretty good. 29: SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (25) - Is it me, or was this song edited down more often than not. That's a shame, as it is among my favorite hits from ELO. 28: DEACON BLUES - STEELY DAN (33) - When this song started, I thought it was "Peg" at first, since the intros are both very similar. Though I preferred "Peg", both songs are great, with their trademark jazz/rock sound. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STILL THE SAME - BOB SEGER - This would be the first of four hits from Seger's multi-platinum Stranger In Town album (which I remember listening to a lot back in the day), but surprisingly, the only one that hit the Top Ten. Oh well, at least it was the best of the bunch! 27: TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD - MEAT LOAF (32) - He had a handful of Top 40 hits, with this being my favorite - as well as one of my favorites on this week's chart. I do, however, prefer the full album version over the single, which was what AT40 usually, if not always, played. 26: BAKER STREET - GERRY RAFFERTY (40) - I tell you what, I used to really like this song, but not so much anymore. Perhaps overplay on oldies stations. I generally switch the station when this comes on. 25: JACK AND JILL - RAYDIO (23) - Here's another song whose single version is quite butchered. This is possibly my favorite song from him/them. 24: LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON (15) - This was one of my favorite songs in the world back in the day. It's still not bad, but hasn't really aged very well. 23: YOU BELONG TO ME - CARLY SIMON (26) - This, along with songs #37 and #34, were high points in the show for our friend JessieLou! I like this song too - one of my favorites from Carlegend! 22: DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS (9) - One I remember quite well from back in the day. I like it - has a haunting sound to it. 21: WEREWOLVES OF LONDON - WARREN ZEVON (21) - Great classic hit here! Only got as high as #21, but still receives a ton of recurrent airplay. 20: IT'S A HEARTACHE - BONNIE TYLER (22) - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices., 19: TWO DOORS DOWN - DOLLY PARTON (19) - Mainly a country act, Parton had many crossovers to Pop. This was her second Top 40 hit. It was OK, but didn't hold a candle to "Here You Come Again". 18: MOVIN' OUT (ANTHONY'S SONG) - BILLY JOEL (20) - The second of four hits from The Stranger. I liked all four of them, so it's hard to say what my favorite song would be. 17: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA (24) - I like many, if not most, of their Top 40 hits, but this isn't one of them. Not sure why, but it just doesn't do anything for me. 16: LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN - SWEET (18) - They had five Top 40 hits, all reaching the upper half of the chart. This one was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad - reminded me of something that ELO would do. 15: BABY HOLD ON - EDDIE MONEY (17) - Here's another one that didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from him! 14: CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW (7) - What my grandma said when I hid her dentures. But seriously, this was a great song! Another one of my personal faves from the good ol' days that has indeed stood the test of time. OPTIONAL EXTRA: RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL - VAN HALEN - This song only got as high as #84, but is widely recognized, as it gets a lot of airplay on classic rock stations. 13: THIS TIME I'M IN IT FOR LOVE - PLAYER (14) - Their second of their three Top 40 hits, and the second biggest as well, peaking at #10. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Baby Come Back". 12: DISCO INFERNO - THE TRAMMPS (13) - I generally don't care for disco acts by faceless artists, but this one is actually pretty good. 11: ON BROADWAY - GEORGE BENSON (16) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. It was pretty good, with Benson's trademark scat singing, but I still preferred the original by the Drifters. 10: NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES (5) - Wow, they kick off both the Top 40 and the Top Ten on this week's chart! That sure doesn't happen very often, does it? Anyway, this song was OK, but my least favorite of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. 9: IMAGINARY LOVER - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (10) - Amazing how speeding up this song a bit turns it into a different artist No, seriously, I like most of ARS' Top 40 hits, this one included. 8: COUNT ON ME - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (8) - There were many songs that don't like now, but did back during their chart runs. Here's one that is just the opposite - back in the day, it was just there, but now is one of my favorite songs by JS. 7: FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE (12) - Ah, here's a guilty pleasure here. I like this and his other Top 40 hit "Give It All You Got" about the same. 6: SHADOW DANCING - ANDY GIBB (11) - This song, of course, was on its way to becoming the top song for all of 1978. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite won out for the year before, so it's all good). 5: IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN (1) - If this song could have held on for another week, the chart would have been bookended by Saturday Night Fever songs. However, I have heard it said that this song was artificially kept at #1, thus cheating the Roberta/Donny duet coming up a little late out of the top spot. However, I cannot confirm this. Regardless, this is possibly my favorite song from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. 4: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (6) - It's sort of a close tie between this and "Summer Nights" as my favorite of their duets from Grease. Both are good songs, though. 3: TOO MUCH TOO LITTLE TOO LATE - JOHNNY MATHIS AND DENIECE WILLIAMS (4) - Before going into this song, Casey mentioned how Paul Davis had pulled into a tie with Mathis for keeping a song on the Hot 100 the longest. As we all know, "I Go Crazy" broke the record the following week. As for this song, it was a great one. 2: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY (2) - Casey mentioned that there were three songs in a row by duets who don't normally sing together - sort of implying that they were one-time duets, which was incorrect, as Flack & Hathaway had two other collaborations that charted (and, as it turned out, Travolta & Newton-John would also have another duet, but, of course, we did not know that yet). Whatever the case, this was my favorite of the three duets - both in this week's Top Five as well as the ones between Flack & Hathaway). 1: WITH A LITTLE LUCK - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (1) - I was delighted that they played the full version of this song (though the very ending seemed abrupt) instead of their custom version, which is chopped down way too much, IMO. They also played the whole song on the 5/27 show, in its other week at #1. Not sure if they played that version any other time, though. This was definitely one of Wings' all-time best hits!
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