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Post by Hervard on Jun 10, 2023 8:54:24 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 10, 2023
This week's presentation - June 12, 1982
Droppers: WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE - SIMON & GARFUNKEL (27) - A great cover version of the Everly Brothers classic, recorded at their 1981 concert in Central Park. Too bad this song couldn't get past #27 on the charts! MY GIRL - DONNIE IRIS (25) - Doesn't this one sound a lot like "Hot Fun In The Summertime"? Of his three Top 40 hits, this one would probably be my favorite. STILL IN SAIGON - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (22) - A song about a Vietnam veteran experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. The subject matter was sort of depressing, but the song itself had a great melody - shame that it fell out this week. In fact, I actually listened to this song during the extremely annoying Waitresses song they played as the first Optional Extra.
LW#3: I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE LW#2: DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS – RICK SPRINGFIELD LW#1: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER 40: HOPE YOU LOVE ME LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (debut) - This was their second Top 40 hit, so they weren't really an established act yet. That might be why this song, which has the doo-wop sound like several of their other Top 40 hits, didn't do so well, peaking at #36 two weeks later, which is a shame, as it is one of my all-time faves from them! 39: MURPHY’S LAW - CHERI (39) - Ah, the law that states "If anything can go wrong, it will"! Ever have one of those days? I certainly have. As for the song itself, well, surprisingly, I like it. When I first heard it on Backtrax USA about fifteen years ago, I was like, “What is this crap?” But the laid-back jazzy melody makes up for the weird voices. 38: FRIENDS IN LOVE – DIONNE WARWICK AND JOHNNY MATHIS (38) - A one-time duet from two artists who, at the time, had 47 solo songs between them (by now, it must be at least 50). Anyway, it was a great song - one of my favorite songs from both artists. Too bad this was all the higher the song got (but it did quite well on the AC charts, peaking at #5. 37: AFTER THE GLITTER FADES – STEVIE NICKS (debut) - Fleetwood Mac was poised to debut on the Hot 100 in a major way with a song on which Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie shared lead vocals, but Stevie Nicks (who sang back-up on the song) had her own hit on the chart as well. It was definitely one of her best songs ever and quite underrated (as it only peaked at #32 a few weeks later). 36: PERSONALLY – KARLA BONOFF (40) - Back in the summer of 1994, I bought Karla’s Wild Heart Of The Young album, after hearing the title track playing over a scene in The Wonder Years, and it turned out to be a worthy purchase, as I liked each and every song on the album, this one included. 35: I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START – EDDIE RABBITT (36) - Known more for his upbeat songs like "Drivin' My Life Away" and "I Love A Rainy Night", he did have a few ballads, like this one, that had a country-folk sound to it. I liked it, but I preferred several others from him, including the two I mentioned above. 34: STILL THEY RIDE - JOURNEY (debut) - The fourth single from what is IMO one of their best albums ever, ESC4P3. Several other songs from the album were not released as singles, but were popular album cuts (i.e. "Stone In Love" and "Keep On Runnin'"). This song was by far my favorite song from the album. Too bad it didn't hit the Top Ten like the first three releases. 33: FORGET ME NOTS – PATRICE RUSHEN (37) - This song was sampled twice in the 1990s - first of all in George Michael's 1996 hit "Fastlove", then used as the bass line in one of Will Smith's most overplayed songs ever, "Men In Black" a year later. I dub this "The Blinker Song", as there was one time that a blinker that I was coming up to at the junction of Indiana State Road 2 and US Highway 6 kept perfect rhythm with the song , which I'm sure I've mentioned here a time or two. 32: FANTASY – ALDO NOVA (23) - The only Top 40 hit for this Montreal native. It was a great song - one I remember hearing on the radio regularly back in 1982. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNOW WHAT BOYS LIKE - THE WAITRESSES - No. Just no. 31: BREAK IT UP - FOREIGNER (35) - This song was the fourth single from their album 4. The song's pretty good - sounds a little like several of their late-70s hits ("Cold As Ice" and "Blue Morning, Blue Day" come to mind). 30: WHEN HE SHINES – SHEENA EASTON (30) - As I've said before, I generally prefer her slow songs, but this is an exception, as there are several of her upbeat songs that I prefer over this one. It's a pretty good song, but a little too sappy. 29: ONLY THE LONELY – THE MOTELS (34) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this band from Los Angeles. I liked all four of those hits, my favorite being "Remember The Nights", from early 1984. This was their biggest hit overall, and the only one that gets any kind of recurrent airplay nowadays. 28: PLAY THE GAME TONIGHT - KANSAS (32) - Casey told the story about Fat Albert's bar, in Des Moines being destroyed by bikers in 1973 on this show, as well as two others (4/8/78 and 12/6/86, I believe). As for the song, it was Kansas' very first song with John Elefante as the lead singer, as former lead singer Steve Walsh had left the group to start a solo career. This was a pretty good song, but I generally preferred their earlier material. 27: TAKE ME DOWN – ALABAMA (33) - Wow, two groups named after states back to back in the countdown. That sure didn't happen often, did it? Anyway, this was one of four songs of theirs that crossed over to Pop. It wasn't bad, but didn't hold a candle to "Love In The First Degree" LDD: BEING WITH YOU – SMOKEY ROBINSON - This song was pretty good, but I prefer others by him. It did fit the dedication well, though. 26: WHEN IT’S OVER - LOVERBOY (28) - Their third Top 40 hit - failed to make the Top 20, as did their first two (though both get significant recurrent airplay). They did manage to go Top 20 the following year (and came close to the Top Ten). Anyway, this song was OK, but one of my least favorites from them. 25: ANY DAY NOW – RONNIE MILSAP (31) - One of several country crossover artists that hit during 1982. This was one of my favorite songs from Milsap - a great song indeed! 24: WITHOUT YOU – FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS (26) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees. As for this song, it's a great one - a close second to "Sweetheart" as far as my favorite songs from them. 23: RUN FOR THE ROSES – DAN FOGELBERG (21) - A song about racehorses that can bring me to tears, especially after hearing it as a LDD to Secretariat in late 1989, as well as hearing it the same day as the tragic death of Eight Belles (the show for that weekend happened to be 1982). 22: DID IT IN A MINUTE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (15) - One of several Top Ten songs from them that radio all but ignores anymore, which is a shame, as this was one of their best hits ever! 21: TAINTED LOVE – SOFT CELL (29) - Definitely one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. Of course, we all know that this song held the record for the longest consecutive run on the Hot 100 - in fact, I believe that the song has such a record for the pre-Soundscan era (remember - "What About Me" by Moving Pictures doesn't count, as that song had two chart-runs). OPTIONAL EXTRA: ABRACADABRA - STEVE MILLER BAND - This was a week away from hitting the Top 40 and was on its way to #1. I was getting tired of the song near the end of its chart run, but now I think it's a good song, since it's not overplayed as a recurrent. 20: CAUGHT UP IN YOU - .38 SPECIAL (24) - Definitely one of my absolute favorites from them! This was their first of two Top Ten hits (you thought they had more, didn't you?) 19: EMPTY GARDEN – ELTON JOHN (13) - A great tribute to the late John Lennon. One of Elton's best hits of the 80s. 18: ’65 LOVE AFFAIR – PAUL DAVIS (9) - This song has that malt shop era sound to it (I believe the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", but for some reason, they moved it up a decade). This was a great song - Davis' highest peaking hit and one of his all time best, IMO. EXTRA: LISTEN TO THE MUSIC – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - This is the song that started it all off for them back in the fall of 1972. It was a great song, though not their absolute best. 17: HURTS SO GOOD – JOHN COUGAR (20) - Here's one of the biggest songs of the decade that fell short of the #1 spot. Chart performance-wise, it was his biggest hit ever (before late 1991, anyway). A good song that has aged quite well. 16: LET IT WHIP – DAZZ BAND (19) - This was the week's #1 song on the soul chart, and it was on its way up the Hot 100, eventually peaking at #5. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however. 15: LOVE’S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME – JUICE NEWTON (18) - Of course, this was one of my favorite songs from her, as it was one of her 1982 hits. I preferred the other two, but this is still a great one nonetheless! 14: MAN ON YOUR MIND – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (14) - They were done hitting the Top Ten at this point, but they had a few more Top 20 hits, this one included. It was a great one, though not quite their best. 13: MAKING LOVE – ROBERTA FLACK (16) - A guilty pleasure of mine, as I know several people who would give this "No. Just no" status, but I really like it - especially the synths in the song. 12: BODY LANGUAGE - QUEEN (17) - Not a big fan of this one. Indeed, their music quality took a nosedive once the 80s started, IMO. 11/LDD: I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (3) - One of several guilty pleasures on this week's show! I do, however, see why many people don't like the song. Those who dislike this song especially hated the fact that they were subjected to the song twice on this week's show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO - Wow, I didn't know that members of Toto sang back-up on this song. They were also on this week's chart, up in the Top Ten. As for Chicago, they had been absent from the chart for over three years, but more than made up for lost time with this song, which would go all the way to #1 by late summer. Of course, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio. 10: IT’S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE – DENIECE WILLIAMS (12) - This song had that "rainy day" sound to it, but it was still pretty good - not as good as her #1 hit two years later, though. 9: 867-5309/JENNY – TOMMY TUTONE (4) - I wonder if anyone still has this phone number, and if they're still receiving nuisance calls from people asking for Jenny? Hope they have caller ID. Anyway, this was a good song. 8: CRIMSON AND CLOVER - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (11) - This one wasn't quite as good as her monster hit "I Love Rock And Roll" from earlier in the year, but I prefer it over her third hit from later on that year, as well as the original by Tommy James. 7: ROSANNA - TOTO (10) - This was that Toto song I mentioned earlier. It was #1 for four weeks on the R&R chart, but couldn't get any higher than #2 on the Hot 100, but it became their biggest hit overall. It was a good song that still gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. 6: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (8) - The first of four Top 40 hits for this British band, as well as their biggest. My third favorite from them, only ahead of "Don't Cry" (which is also a good one). 5: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – WILLIE NELSON (7) - As I've said before, my favorite version of this song would be the Pet Shop Boys techno cover from 1988, but I do like this better than the two other versions that Casey played in a medley during the time the Pet Shop Boys version was charting (which we heard back in April) - by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, IIRC. 4: THE OTHER WOMAN – RAY PARKER JR. (5) - It looked like this song had peaked at #5, as it had held at that position for three weeks, but it managed to move up one more this week. This song wasn't bad, but I generally prefer his songs from the Raydio era. EXTRA: THE RUBBER BAND MAN – THE SPINNERS - This was one of those "biggest hit by a random act" extras that they used as fillers for when they had excess time. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred the other two songs that Casey mentioned as he was naming off the Spinners' three biggest hits (which, incidentally, were their last three Top 40 hits). 3: DON’T YOU WANT ME – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (6) - This was one of two #1 songs that held the aforementioned Toto song out of the top spot. This is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1982, as that was when it was #1 and played a lot on the stations I listened to - a great song indeed! 2: DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS – RICK SPRINGFIELD (2) - This song had recently spent five weeks atop the R&R chart, but was still going strong on the Hot 100. Oddly enough, you don't hear it much on the radio. Pretty much all they play by him is "Jessie's Girl". Both of those are among my favorites by this man from Australia. 1: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (1) - This song was quite overplayed, but now that I don't hear it anywhere near as often as I used to, I actually like this song - it definitely has a great message. It was interesting that Paul McCartney hadn't made the soul chart before now (although, given that he was generally a rock act, it's not too surprising).
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Post by Hervard on Jun 10, 2023 8:54:40 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 10, 2023
This week's presentation - June 11, 1988
Droppers: I'M STILL SEARCHING - GLASS TIGER (39) - The fourth and final Top 40 hit for this Canadian band. It was a good song and I'm surprised it didn't do any better than it did, since it was an upbeat song that was suitable for late spring. PINK CADILLAC - NATALIE COLE (37) - One of two Springsteen hits to chart in the spring of '88. 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 - both versions are great, IMO. DA' BUTT - E.U. (35) - 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. ANGEL - AEROSMITH (34) - 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. MY GIRL - SUAVE (33) - The fourth charted 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 cover 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. WISHING WELL - TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY (32) - Like "Angel", this song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it didn't stop until it went all the way to the top! I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name".
40: PARADISE - SADE (debut) - Sade was mainly a smooth jazz and AC artist, but they did have a handful of Top 40 hits - four, to be exact (well, before the PPW era, anyway) and all of them hit the Top 20. This one just barely squeaked in, peaking at #20 in July. It was a great song - my favorite of their hits! 39: HEART OF MINE – BOZ SCAGGS (debut) - Last week, in my critique for the 1977 show, I mentioned that "Lido Shuffle" was my favorite song from him - this one, however, would be a close second. It was a great song - and Bobby Caldwell did a decent remake of this the following year. 38: WHEN WE KISS - BARDEUX (36) - The only Top 40 hit for this female dance duo from Los Angeles. It was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 37: SUPERSONIC – J.J. FAD (debut) - Another one-hit wonder (and they're also from LA). Though I'm not generally a huge fan of this kind of music, I actually liked this one - especially the part at the beginning, where two of them were rapping and the other was beatboxing. 36: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (28) - After two one-hit wonders, here's one two-hit wonder. As I said in a recent critique, I like both of their hits about the same. 35: STRANGE BUT TRUE – TIMES TWO (24) - And back to one-hit wonders! This was a great song - too bad they didn't have more hits. 34: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (debut) - When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later. 33: RUSH HOUR – JANE WEIDLIN (debut) - The second of the Go-Gos to hit the Top 40 with a solo hit. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite as successful as bandmade Belinda Carlisle, as this was her only Top 40 hit. It was a great song - too bad her follow-up "Inside A Dream" only got as high as #57. 32: TALL COOL ONE – ROBERT PLANT (40) - Ah, the lead singer of the legendary Led Zeppelin. This was pretty good - the part at the end, with a montage of guitar riffs from many of their classic hits, was really cool! 31: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (debut) - A rare example of the final release from an album (that spawned three or more hits) was the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW - FLEETWOOD MAC - Wow, this was a curveball extra, as it never hit the Top 40 (peaked at #43 in January, 1989), but it did very well at AC radio, hitting #1 around the same time it peaked on the Hot 100. It was a great one - too bad they cut out the instrumental bridge. 30: DREAMING – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (25) - This English band had four Top 40 hits, this being their second biggest, peaking at #16 a few weeks back. This was also my second favorite from them, behind "So In Love". 29: LOST IN YOU – ROD STEWART (38) - Here's an artist who had been hitting the charts for two decadees, and his hit streak was far from over. This one didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it didn't miss by much, peaking at #12. It was a great one - possibly my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from the Out Of Order album. 28: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – THE PET SHOP BOYS (17) - The second of the two versions of this hit that hit the Top Ten. As we all know, this techno version of the song was by far my favorite. 27: UNDER THE MILKY WAY – THE CHURCH (31) - This was one of many Aussie bands on the chart this week. I liked this song, but I preferred the follow-up, "Inside The Snickers" 26: TWO OCCASIONS – THE DEELE (21) - Ah, the song that mentions all four seasons (though it skips around somewhat). It's a good song, but I preferred several of band member Babyface's hits. 25: WAIT – WHITE LION (13) - This hard rock band had two Top 40 hits, both of them Top Tens. I preferred this one over the maudlin "When The Children Cry" by a longshot. 24: BEDS ARE BURNING – MIDNIGHT OIL (29) - Another Aussie band and, like The Church, they only had one Top 40 hit. I remember hearing this song all the time in early 2001 on Chicago's 94.7 The Zone - a then-80s station that had the skimpiest variety of music. One day (March 10, 2001, to be exact), when I was out for a leisurely drive, I must have heard the song at least three times. No wonder that format didn't last long on that station! As for the song, it's a good one, so at least it wasn't a crappy song that was overplayed. 23: NEW SENSATION - INXS (30) - And look here - another act from Australia! 22: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - FOREIGNER (8) - Ah, the Wf*gLY soundalike song. This one was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from them. 21: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME – DEF LEPPARD (27) - They'd had moderate chart success on the Top 40 chart with the Pyromania album, but it was the Hysteria album that REALLY put them on the map. This was their first Top Five hit and looked like it would hit #1, but Richard Marx leapfrogged over them with his hit that we heard back at #31. No matter; they would top the chart with their next single "Love Bites". Not sure if I preferred that one or this. LDD: SEA OF LOVE – THE HONEYDRIPPERS - Robert Plant's second appearance on this week's show. This song was pretty good, and definitely fit the dedication. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT 'TIL IT'S GONE - CINDERELLA - This is another extra I probably wouldn't have guessed, although this was the biggest hit for this heavy metal band from Pennsylvania. I liked it, but preferred other songs like "The Last Mile" and "Coming Home". 20: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (26) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). 19: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (10) - This was their only #1 song (as a group, anyway, as Gloria went on two have two #1 songs on her own. 18: NITE & DAY – AL B. SURE! (22) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam. I liked the synthesizer used in this song. 17: NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (23) - This song hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100, but just missed on the R&R chart. Poison didn't have their first Top Ten on that chart until "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which went all the way to the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs by Poison! 16: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (20) - Wow, lots of heavy metal songs on this week's show. 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". 15: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (23) - 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! 14: WE ALL SLEEP ALONE - CHER (16) - Cher had one Top Ten hit on R&R and one Top Ten hit on the Hot 100 in 1988 - only with different songs. This one hit the Top Ten on the former by the skin of its teeth, and this is all the further it got on the Hot 100, where she'd hit the Top Ten earlier in the year with "I Found Someone", which peaked at #12 on R&R. Not sure which of them I prefer - neither one was one of my favorites from Cher. 13: THE FLAME – CHEAP TRICK (19) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices". LDD: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE - Another example of the final hit from an album doing the best. After three Top Ten hits, this one hit #1. Interesting LDD. I wonder which week that the writer had spring break in April, 1988 - must not have been the first full week, as the weather was pretty decent here in northern Indiana, which is generally cooler than the Washington DC area. 12: ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (15) - 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. 11: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (6) - 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! OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE MOMENT IN TIME - WHITNEY HOUSTON - Whitney was notably absent from the chart for the entire month of June. Her recent #1 "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" had dropped off the survey the week before and she wouldn't return to the Top 40 until July, so it was good to have a song from her as an Optional Extra. This was a good song (the very first Request & Dedication song on Casey's Top 40), but I preferred many others from her. 10: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (14) - 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. 9: CIRCLE IN THE SAND – BELINDA CARLISLE (11) - Another artist having their 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. 8: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (12) - This one would set a record, as the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album. 7: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (9) - 1988 was definitely the year for the rare "last single with most success". We've already talked about Richard Marx and Expose, and the Jets are another example. This song peaked at #4 a few weeks later. This was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". 6: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (7) - 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! But what a sloppy edit near the end! The same one was used the previous week and would be used again on the July 9 show. Totally screwed up the continuity of the song. 5: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (3) - 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". 4: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (2) - Hmm, I wonder if they've forgiven George Michael yet for shutting them out of the #1 spot? Regardless, this was my favorite of their three songs from Turn Back The Clock? The title track, which was an AC-only hit late that year, would be a close second. 3: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (3) - Here is yet another artist on this week's chart with their last Top Ten hit (though they just barely missed with the ironically titled "So Close" in late 1990). This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. Is it me, or did this contain a bad edit near the end? 2: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (5) - 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). 1: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (1) - One of very few songs 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. Oh, my opinion of the song - it was a great one - one of his best!
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 10, 2023 14:57:09 GMT -5
"Almost Summer" by Celebration definitely has a Beach Boys feel to it-That's because it was written by three members of that iconic band:Mike Love,Al Jardine,& Brian Wilson.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 10, 2023 15:08:13 GMT -5
"I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses was the first hour optional extra from this week's A show presentation:6/12/82-They went on to perform the theme from the high school sitcom "Square Pegs" which ran from 1982-1983-That particular show starred a pre "Sex & The City" Sarah Jessica Parker.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 10, 2023 17:01:05 GMT -5
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was the song that spent the most consecutive weeks on the Billboard "Hot 100":43.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 11, 2023 9:24:52 GMT -5
Regarding "Imaginary Lover",Casey told the story of a disc jockey who played that particular song at 45 RPM instead of 33 & 1/3-The sped up voice sounded like Stevie Nicks-Is that what you're referring to Hervard?
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Post by Hervard on Jun 11, 2023 10:17:39 GMT -5
Regarding "Imaginary Lover",Casey told the story of a disc jockey who played that particular song at 45 RPM instead of 33 & 1/3-The sped up voice sounded like Stevie Nicks-Is that what you're referring to Hervard? Yes it is. Actually, in my original commentary, it was crossed out, but when I copied and pasted it, that somehow removed the strike-out (which I amended my post to replace).
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 11, 2023 10:49:43 GMT -5
In an interview with radio personality Barry Scott,Walter Egan said "Magnet & Steel" was written about Stevie Nicks.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 18, 2023 16:24:48 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late with these critiques - this has been a very busy weekend. Anyway...
American Top 40: The 70s - June 17, 2023
This week's presentation - June 23, 1979
Droppers: DON’T EVER WANNA LOSE YOU – NEW ENGLAND (40) - I forget how this one went (as it only lasted a single week on AT40). I seem to remember it wasn't anything exceptional. HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (38) - This band has sort of an odd chart history - they either hit #1 or missed the Top 20 entirely with their eight hits. This was the first of four #1s. It was good, but I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture". AIN’T LOVE A BEEOTCH – ROD STEWART (36) - Sorry; I know that's not how it's spelled, but if I spelled it correctly, it would end up being "pregnant dog". Anyway, this was Rod's follow-up to one of his biggest hits ever, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy". However, it was nowhere near as successful, as it ran out of gas before it even hit the Top 20. It was pretty good, but definitely far from being his best.
LW#3: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD LW#2: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE LW#1: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER 40: MAMA CAN'T BUY YOU LOVE - ELTON JOHN (debut) - This was one of two Top Tens by Elton John in a near seven-year period (during one of his slumps). It's a good song that is all but ignored by Top 40 radio anymore. 39: PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH WIND - KANSAS (debut) - This was one of their last songs with Steve Walsh still handling the lead vocals before his hiatus from the band. It wasn't bad, but one of my least favorites from them. 38: HOT NUMBER - FOXY (37) - Well, this isn't really a hot number to me, as I'm not into this type of music (but you already know that, right?) Kind of weird that this song only drops a single spot this week, despite a hefty drop the week before, but that happened from time to time back then. 37: DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (29) - Her second of two hits from 1979, both of which hit the Top 20. I personally preferred her other one, "A Little More Love", but this wasn't far behind at all, as it was also a great song! LDD: I.O.U. - JIMMY DEAN - This song was definitely cheesy, but it was nevertheless very appropriate for the LDD, as it was from one of fourteen children, whose family grew up very poor, but were happy nonetheless since they were very close and loving. 36: SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT - ANNE MURRAY (debut) - As I've said many times, 1978-1980 was her best era, IMO, as I liked each and every song from that time period. This was definitely no exception! 35: IN THE NAVY - VILLAGE PEOPLE (25) - As we all know, their biggest hit was one of my "No. Just no" songs (and sometimes it would get a rating even worse than that). This one, on the other hand, I actually really like. Probably because there wasn't a goofy, overdone dance to go along with it (they could have easily done that with the "They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!" chant, but to my best of knowledge, that has not materialized - yet). 34: RENEGADE - STYX (22) - I'm surprised that this song only got as high was #16, given all the airplay it received back in the day. It is also a classic rock staple. I liked it, but preferred "Blue Collar Man", from the same album, Pieces of Eight. ARCHIVE: ANNIE'S SONG - JOHN DENVER - I heard this many a time when I was younger (and I believe it was also my aunt & uncle's wedding song - just two weeks before this show, by the way). While it's true that I like most of John Denver's songs, this isn't one of them, since it's so maudlin sounding (though it did make for a funny scene in the 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding). OPTIONAL EXTRA: LEAD ME ON - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE - A true two-hit wonder here, as her only other song was "Right Back Where We Started From", a song I used to like, but now not quite as much, due to overplay. This is definitely my favorite song from her. 33: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (17) - This was the last of their Top Ten hits from the 70s (they would have one more the following year, which would end up becoming one of their biggest hits of all-time, a year later). This was a great song, but I preferred a few others, including said 1980 #1). 32: DO IT OR DIE - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (39) - Though I preferred their two Top Ten hits, this one was also a good one, with a great message - so much that it was used as an LDD request on several occasions. 31: SHAKEDOWN CRUISE - JAY FERGUSON (34) - The second of two Top 40 hits for this man from the San Fernando Valley. I preferred the first one, "Thunder Island", which charted the year before. 30: I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU - KISS (35) - They seemed to have jumped on the disco bandwagon at this point (not a good move, as this was just before Steve Dahl's infamous Disco Demolition). This would be their last Top 40 hit for over ten years - they finally returned in early 1990 with what would be their second Top Ten hit - like the first one, it was a ballad. 29: DISCO NIGHTS - G.Q. (15) - This was the first of two hits (from the same year, no less) from this soul group from the Bronx. This was one of several songs sampled in Kon Kan's 1989 hit "I Beg Your Pardon". This was so/so, but I preferred their other hit, "I Do Love You", which charted later that summer. 28: DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW - ABBA (33) - This was Abba's first charted singles that featured Björn Ulvaeus on lead vocals instead of Agnetha Faltskog and Frida. It was a pretty good song, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 27: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT - RAYDIO (32) - This song and their 1981 song "A Woman Needs Love" sounded very similar. I slightly prefer this one though (but both of them are great songs. 26: HEART OF THE NIGHT - POCO (31) - The second of their two 1979 hits - I liked it about the same as "Crazy Love". Still, I think their best hit ever was "Nothing To Hide", from early 1990. 25: DAYS GONE DOWN (STILL GOT THAT LIGHT IN YOUR EYES) - GERRY RAFFERTY (30) - I must say, it was quite refreshing to hear a song by him besides the grossly overplayed "Baker Street" (though it seems to me that I did hear "Right Down The Line" somewhere just recently). This one was actually a good song - too bad this one didn't go Top Ten. 24: I CAN'T STAND IT NO MORE - PETER FRAMPTON (28) - Well, try he might, he just couldn't come close to equaling the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred a few songs from said album, as well as the title track from his second album I'm In You. 23: AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW - McFADDEN & WHITEHEAD (27) - The only Top 40 hit by the founders of Philly soul music, this was one of the best Philly soul hits of all time, IMO! I remember this one quite well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK - Well, this song, which was played as the second Optional Extra, is definitely worlds better than her sleep inducing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (how the hell did THAT become the #1 song of 1972 - can someone please explain?) I do prefer a few other songs, including her song from eight years later that used the last two words of the title (and added a "g" where appropriate). 22: WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - DR. HOOK (26) - As we all know, my favorite song from them was "Better Love Next Time", but this was a good one too - and it became one of their most successful hits. 21: GET USED TO IT - ROGER VOUDOURIS (21) - The only Top 40 hit from this Sacramento native, but what a great song it was! 20: DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY - VAN HALEN (23) -I generally prefer the Van Hagar area, but this was actually one of my favorite songs of theirs when David Lee Roth was still in the band. 19: GOLD - JOHN STEWART (24) - Here's one of several R&R-only #1 songs on this week's chart (there are several of those on this week's chart, I believe). This one featured Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals - making an already great song even better! 18: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - JACKSONS (14) - Meh, not one of their best by any means. As I've said several times before, I preferred their earlier songs. 17: SHINE A LITTLE LOVE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (20) - Here's another R&R-only #1 song. This would peak at #8 on the AT40 chart. It was a great song - one of their best! 16: I WANT YOU TO WANT ME - CHEAP TRICK (19) - Now here's one I remember quite well from the summer of 1979, as I heard it regularly on the jukebox at the beach house that I went to a lot that summer, plus WLS played it regularly. I liked this song a lot. 15: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON (18) - This one hit the Top Five on the Hot 100, but only reached #25 on the R&R chart. As for my opinion on this song, it was OK, but a little gimmicky. It did, however, make for an interesting LDD on an early 1980 show - from a girl, who had dreams of being a model, to her family, who pretty much bullied her about her endeavor. The LDD was pretty much a raspberry to them, which served them right, as she had indeed lived her dream. 14: MINUTE BY MINUTE - DOOBIE BROTHERS (16) - The title track from their #1 album, which had topped the chart back in April/May. The Doobies would replace themselves on the chart the following week - this one would move in as "What A Fool Believes" stepped off the chart. Of course, that was the song that I preferred of the two. LDD: BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL - BEACH BOYS - This pretty much says it all for the LDD! 13: ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY - BAD COMPANY (13) - Here's one that I definitely associate with the summer of 1979 - I heard this one many times on the beach house juke box that I mentioned earlier. 12: REUNITED - REACHES & HERB (9) - This was by far their biggest hit ever, spending the entire month of May at the top. It is also my favorite song from them - one of the best love songs of all time! ARCHIVE: THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED - PAPER LACE - WHAT?? As far as I know, Chicago is very much alive! And if what I know is wrong, then why the hell did I miss the funeral? No, seriously, this one wasn't bad - much better than the geezerly snoozefest back at #48. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU - BONNIE POINTER - Of course, Bonnie had passed away two weeks ago of cardiac arrest, but oddly enough, this song was already chosen as an OE. As we all know, Bonnie Pointer had previously been a member of the Pointer Sisters, but left the band in 1978 to try it on her own. This was her first of two solo hits, as well as the most successful, having spent the past two weeks at #11. The song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her sisters' band. 11: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT - BEE GEES (5) - Ah, the song that was said to have been artificially moved to #1 so as not to interrupt their streak at #1. Whether or not that is true I have no idea, but regardless, it is still a good song! 10: YOU TAKE ME BREATH AWAY - REX SMITH (12) - Another song that I heard a lot back in the summer of '79 (though I'm not sure if the beach house juke box had it - I generally heard this on the radio). This song was from the TV movie Sooner Or Later, in which Rex himself was the star. I loved this song when it was on the charts and still love it today! 9: BOOGIE WONDERLAND - EARTH, WIND & FIRE w/THE EMOTIONS (10) - A one-time team-up between these two acts. The song was OK, but I preferred most of EW+F's other material (and the only other song I've heard by the Emotions was "Best Of My Love" - yes, I preferred that one too). 8: SHE BELIEVES IN ME - KENNY ROGERS (8) - Here's one that I remember quite well from '79! This one would peak at #5 on AT40, but on the R&R chart, it managed to sneak in a week at #1. 7: CHUCK E'S IN LOVE - RICKIE LEE JONES (7) - Another R&R #1, this song would peak at #4 on the Hot 100 a few weeks later. The song wasn't bad, but definitely not one I'd want to hear all the time. 6: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (6) - We complete a hat trick of R&R #1's that didn't quite make it on the Hot 100! Anyway, this was my favorite song in the world back in the summer of 1979. WLS played this song all the time, starting around the beginning of the summer and pretty much straight through to the early fall - at which time I finally decided to buy the Breakfast In America album. 5: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER - I wonder just how far off Casey was in his predictions of spending $8 billion at discotheques this year, especially after Steve Dahl's infamous Disco Demolition three weeks later! That story was told going into this song, which was definitely headed to #1 (especially taking such a jump in such a congested area of the chart) and I'm sure that many fans were thinking that it was entirely possible that she would succeed herself at #1 (though, as it turned out, that didn't happen - more on that in awhile). 4: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST - RANDY VANWARMER (4) - The only Top 40 song from this man from Colorado who, sadly, passed away almost 20 years ago. It was a really good song, but not one to listen to when feeling depressed, especially over a recent breakup. 3: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD (3) - If this artist had just stuck to her job as a schoolteacher, Donna Summer would have succeeded herself at #1, as this was the song that hit #1 in between her two big summer hits. 2: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE (2) - This song looked like this might hit #1, but due to the competition at #1, the song fell a spot short. This song has definitely stood the test of time - still receives quite a lot of airplay 36 years later! I myself think it's a good song, which says a lot, considering I'm not much for disco music. 1: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER (1) - How fast this went to #1, plus the fact that it rebounded to #1 this week is what makes people suspicious about the Bee Gees' song back at #5 being a legit #1. I liked this song - my second favorite of her 1979 hits, behind "Heaven Knows".
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Post by Hervard on Jun 18, 2023 16:24:58 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 17, 2023
This week's presentation - June 21, 1986
Droppers: THE LOVE PARADE - DREAM ACADEMY (36) - Their second and final Top 40 hit. It was a good song, but not quite as good as "Life In A Northern Town" (and many people must have agreed, as this song was nowhere near as big). BAD BOY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (32) - This one had sort of an old Motown sound to it. It was the second of many big hits for this band from Cuba (and even more for the lead singer, Gloria Estefan, who would go on to have a successful solo career several years later). This was a good song; my favorite of their 1986 hits. WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS (31) - This was an example of a band's first hit being their biggest, as it was their first and only number one hit. I thought it was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, including their next hit "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)". WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY - JANET JACKSON (30) - The first of many, many hits that Janet would place on the charts. However, this was one of my least favorite songs from her. I generally liked her later songs (especially the Rhythm Nation era).
40: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM "KARATE KID PART II") - PETER CETERA (debut) - The first of two #1 songs by Cetera after he left Chicago - and the other one was later on that same year. This, however, was my favorite of the two hits, as well as one of my favorite of his solo hits. 39: MOVE AWAY - CULTURE CLUB (18) - They had a wave of popularity throughout 1983 and the first half of 1984, but after that, they sort of fizzled out, so they decided to wait another year before giving it another shot. Unfortunately, it was less than stellar, as this song missed the Top Ten (at least it did peak higher than either of their songs from their last album Waking Up With The House On Fire). This was their last hit as a group (though Boy George had two more solo Top 40 hits) 38: MODERN WOMAN - BILLY JOEL (debut) - Here's one you don't hear much anymore! It was a good one, but definitely not one of my favorites from him. 37: OUT OF MIND OUT OF SIGHT - MODELS (38) - The lone Top 40 hit for this band from Melbourne, Australia. I wonder if it would have done better on the chart two years later, when Aussie acts seemed to be "in" (ironically, that was the year the band went on hiatus). As for the song, it wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional either. 36: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF - JOURNEY (17) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their Raised On Radio album. Though it's my least favorite of the singles, I still think it's a good one. 35: DIGGING YOUR SCENE - THE BLOW MONKEYS (39) - I always thought that this song should have hit the Top Ten, but I'm thinking that maybe that some of the Top 40 audience didn't like the voice of the lead singer. The other song I've heard by them, cover of "You Don't Own Me", from the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack I found rather annoying, because of the voice, but the laid back melody of this song more than made up for it. Definitely one of my favorites on this week's chart! 34: IF SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTS - BANGLES (37) - Why did so many of the best songs from 1986 tank so fast? This song ran out of gas at #29, three weeks later (and fell out of the Top 40 the following week). Then of course, their next hit had to go and become the top song of 1987. Needless to say, this was my favorite of their three 1986 hits. 33: OPPORTUNITIES (LET'S MAKE LOTS OF MONEY) - PET SHOP BOYS (debut) - This was their second hit, though it doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay. They just assume we want to hear "West End Girls" for the millionth time. That's too bad, as this was a great song - one of their best, IMO. At least it did make the Top Ten. LDD: AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS - This was a very sad dedication, IMO. This song was indeed very fitting for the story, as it summed up the author's feelings about her late mother 32: LOVE TOUCH (THEME FROM "LEGAL EAGLES") - ROD STEWART (40) - This song was written by Holly Knight, which accounts for why the song sounds a lot like the song "Hanging On A Heart Attack" by Device, a band headed up by Knight, which would chart later on that summer. Though I preferred that song slightly, this was a good song as well. 31: MAD ABOUT YOU - BELINDA CARLISLE (debut) - Andy Taylor was gearing up to hit the chart two weeks later with his first and only solo hit "Take It Easy", but he was represented on the countdown with this song as well, as he played guitar on it. It was not bad, though I sure had different sentiments about it back during its chart run! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WORDS GET IN THE WAY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE - As their recent Top Ten hit "Bad Boy" was dropping out of the Top 40, their third release from Primitive Love was on its way up the chart en route to peak at #5. I’ve said that I prefer their ballads to their upbeat songs, but this is actually one of least favorite of their slow songs - I prefer a few of their upbeat songs, such as the aforementioned "Bad Boy" and "Betcha Say That" over this one. 30: DREAMS - VAN HALEN (35) - The second hit from the Van Hagar era, although this and the next hit from 5150 couldn't seem to push into the Top 20 (though they did peak in the teens on the R&R chart, so they were apparently low sellers, which went to show how huge the album was). 29: ONE HIT TO THE BODY - THE ROLLING STONES (34) - Definitely not my favorite song from them by any means. The Dirty Work era was definitely a low point in their career, IMO. 28: IS IT LOVE - MR. MISTER (16) - They were pretty much a flash in the pan, but their first three singles did quite well, all reaching the Top Ten (the first two making it all the way to the top!) This song was a good one, though I slightly preferred "Broken Wings". 27: MOUNTAINS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (33) - The intro of this song was the opening theme I used for my pseudo radio shows that I used to do back in 1987. Not sure why I liked this song (as I generally don't like his upbeat songs like this), but there was just something about it... 26: RAIN ON THE SCARECROW - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (21) - The fourth of five singles from the Scarecrow album. I hear this one every now and then on Sunny 101.5's "Totally 80s Weekends". I never used to like this one, but now I think it's a pretty decent song. 25: WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND - GTR (29) - A supergroup of sorts, consisting of members of several rock bands, including Asia, Genesis and Yes. This was their only hit, however, but a great song it was! 24: IF YOU LEAVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVERS IN THE DARK (13) - Of their four Top 40 hits, this was their only Top Ten (and is the only song of theirs that gets any recurrent airplay). I preferred their other three hits, my favorite being "So In Love", which, oddly enough, sounds a lot like this one. 23: LIKE NO OTHER NIGHT - .38 SPECIAL (26) - This was the only Top 40 hit from their sixth studio album, Strength In Numbers (the follow-up, "Somebody Like You" ran out of gas at #48 in late August). In fact, this would be their final Top 40 hit until 1989, by which time Max Carl became lead singer and, of course, they weren't 38 Special anymore (in my book, anyway). Of course, we all know that this is one of my three favorite songs by this band from Florida. LDD: SHE'S GOT A WAY - BILLY JOEL - I was napping during this LDD, so I'll comment on it as soon as I hear the story. 22: DANGER ZONE - KENNY LOGGINS (28) - This was the first Top Gun single released - and the king of movie soundtrack hits, Kenny Loggins, was the one singing it. He was also the artist of another single from the soundtrack that did not hit the Top 40 ("Playing With The Boys"). I preferred this one and the Top 40 audience apparently did as well, since it practically made it to #1. 21: YOUR WILDEST DREAMS - THE MOODY BLUES (25) - As big as this legendary band was, it's a surprise that they only had three Top Ten hits. This was one of them, peaking at #9 two weeks later, and deservedly so, as it is one of my all-time faves from them! OPTIONAL EXTRA: BABY LOVE - REGINA - Of course, the first thing many people noticed when they first heard this song was that she sounded like Madonna. But that is not coincidence, since Steven Bray, who wrote many songs for Madonna, had a hand in writing this song. In fact, according to Wikipedia, it was intended for Madonna, but she declined. 20: LIKE A ROCK - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (23) - Ah, the song that's also known as the "Chevy Trucks song", I liked it, but preferred "American Storm". 19: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (9) - They were relatively new at the time, but were doing quite well, with their first two hit having hit the Top Ten, Of those two hits, this was my favorite, though I did prefer a few others from them, including their next single "Taken In". 18: VIENNA CALLING - FALCO (19) - This song pretty much rode the coattails of "Rock Me Amadeus", as it didn't do anywhere near as well (the fact that it was somewhat of a novelty song could have been instrumental in that as well). I did prefer this song slightly, since it wasn't quite as overplayed, but still, it wasn't one of my favorite songs. 17: INVISIBLE TOUCH - GENESIS (27) - Their lead-off hit from the album of the same title, and to #1 it went! Good thing, as it's my favorite song from the album, which generated five singles, all of which made the Top Five! 16: TUFF ENUFF - THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS (20) - Though I'm not a huge fan of southern rock, this one was actually pretty good. 15: SLEDGEHAMMER - PETER GABRIEL (22) - Definitely one of the most overplayed hits of the 80s. I wasn't crazy about this song to begin with and the excessive airplay only made me like it less. To this day, I'm still burned out on it and usually change the station when it comes on. I do like "Shock The Monkey" and "Big Time", though. 14: NASTY - JANET JACKSON (24) - Another song that I detested back in the day and used to switch the station when it came on back in '86! It's still not her best song ever, but there are several songs of hers that I dislike more. 13: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LEVEL 42 (10) - This song sure got a lot of mileage on the chart. Spent 14 weeks on the chart, which was unusually long for a song that did not even hit the Top Five (it was even more impressive on R&R - peaked at #9 and spent 15 weeks in the Top 40 - which tied it with several other songs for the longest run on the chart within 1986). I can see why it did so well, as it was an awesome song! 12: I WANNA BE A COWBOY - BOYS DON'T CRY (15) - Like "Vienna Calling", the fact that this was basically a novelty song is probably why it didn't hit the Top Ten. I liked it, though, but I got tired of it around the time it peaked on the chart. Still, it's good to hear it every now and then. 11: GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (6) - One of Whitney's best songs ever, and it became popular in the LDD department (in fact, it was used for that very purpose the following week). This is a song that I never got tired of and it still sounds as fresh as it did 30 years ago! Glad that it ended up as her biggest hit (as far as weeks at #1 go) from her debut album, which had been on the album chart for over a year at that point. 10: NOTHIN' AT ALL - HEART (12) - The fourth of five singles from Heart's self-titled album and the last to hit the Top 40 (the fifth hit "If Looks Could Kill" ran out of gas at #54). This song was a good one, though definitely not their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HIGHER LOVE - STEVE WINWOOD - Another overplayed song from 1986. This is pretty much the same situation as the aforementioned "Sledgehammer", in that it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place and the overplay made it worse. If I never hear this song again, I can live with that. I do, however, like several of his other hits, like "While You See A Chance" and "Roll With It". 9: WHO'S JOHNNY (THEME FROM "SHORT CIRCUIT") - EL DeBARGE (14) - This one I liked quite significantly better than his other movie hit with his family band, "Rhythm Of The Night". I thought the video was funny too. I associate this one with the summer of 1986 since you don't hear it much anymore. This was the first of two members of DeBarge to chart on his own in 1986 (His brother, Chico, of course, charted with a solo hit at the very end of that year called "Talk To Me"). I liked both songs, but preferred this one.. 8: HOLDING BACK THE YEARS - SIMPLY RED (11) - The first of several big hits by this English band headed up by Mick "Red" Hucknall. When I first heard this song about a month earlier, I was like, wow, what a great song! However, the song was quite overplayed and I grew tired of it. Still, it's good to hear every now and then. LDD: THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - THE BEATLES - Wow, three LDDs in this show and not one of them were countdown songs! Like the other two, this was definitely appropriate for the dedication. I wonder if and when the writer's father was ever released from his hostage captivity? UPDATE: I just did a little research and, from what I gather, the writer's father, David Jacobson, was released in early November, 1986. 7: A DIFFERENT CORNER - GEORGE MICHAEL (7) - It had been announced a few months back that George and Andrew were parting ways later on in the year. George was already launching his solo career, with the first of many Top 40 hits. I wasn't too keen on this song, however, since it was so maudlin. 6: NO ONE IS TO BLAME - HOWARD JONES (8) - Of his two Top Ten hits, this would be my favorite, hands down. It's another song that takes me back to the summer of 1986, which was an especially good one for me (trust me; it's a long story!). Anyway, I was kinda disappointed that this was nixed from the "CT40 Summer Hits of the 1980s, due to the cutoff rule. 5: I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ (3) - What I couldn't wait for was this song to go poof! I was not a big fan of this one at all. I much preferred Stevie Nicks' song of the same title from earlier that year! 4: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA (2) - While her new song was gearing up to debut on the Hot 100 at #42 the following week, (en route to #1, of course), this song was on its way down FROM #1, where it had been two weeks before. It was my favorite of the two songs, by a fair margin, might I add. 3: CRUSH ON YOU - THE JETS (5) - The breakthrough hit from this family act from Minneapolis. It wasn't one of my favorite songs from them, however, since I generally preferred their ballads (though their next hit, "Private Number", which just missed the Top 40 later on in the year, was pretty good). OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY - BERLIN - The second hit from one of the biggest movie soundtracks of '86! The soundtrack yielded three Top 40 hits, and one that didn't make the Top 40. Plus, I believe that several other songs, like "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick, received airplay as album cuts on a few radio stations. I liked this song - definitely not as annoying as their first Top 40 hit "No More Words". 2: THERE'LL BE SAD SONGS (TO MAKE YOU CRY) - BILLY OCEAN (4) - As I've mentioned many times before, this song was inspired by an incident associated with Ocean's song Suddenly, from the previous year. This is one of many songs with Summer, 1986 since radio stations played it all the time. It wasn't one of my favorite songs back then, but I really like it now. As is the case with the Jets, I generally prefer his slow songs over the upbeat ones. 1: ON MY OWN - PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD (1) - Here's another song that I didn't like back in the day (due to excessive airplay), but it was one of those songs that ages like fine wine. I think it's a great song now!
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 18, 2023 18:41:08 GMT -5
The autoharp solo on "Just When I Needed You Most" was performed by John Sebastian.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 25, 2023 13:21:36 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - June 24, 2023
This week's presentation - June 25, 1977
Droppers: HOLLYWOOD - RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (32) - This was their seventh Top 40 hit - your typical 70s R&B slow jam. It was not bad, but I preferred a few others from the band, as well as Chaka Khan as a solo artist. HOTEL CALIFORNIA - THE EAGLES (30) - The title track from one of their biggest albums ever and, as stated earlier, one of my favorites from them. A true classic which has aged quite well! BACK TOGETHER AGAIN - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (28) - The follow-up to their first #1 song. The song, however, didn't do anywhere near as well as "Rich Girl" and as for me, I prefer the latter, though this one wasn't bad either - reminded me a little of Earth, Wind & Fire.
40: PEOPLE IN LOVE - 10CC (debut) - They fared very well on the charts with their first two songs, both of which made the Top Five, but this one, on the other hand, barely scraped into the Top 40 - in fact, this was its only week in the Top 40, which I thought was a shame, as I thought this was a great song! 39: EASY - THE COMMODORES (debut) - This was when their musical quality began to improve, as their first few hits were mediocre. This remains one of my favorite Commodores songs of all time! 38: PEACE OF MIND - BOSTON (38) - Here is a song that was just as underrated as the 10cc song, if not more so, as this was all the higher that this song got. It sure did much better on my Personal Top 30 chart, spending six weeks at #1 and coming in at #2 for the entire year (behind "Dancing Queen" by Abba). 37: COULDN'T GET IT RIGHT - CLIMAX BLUES BAND (24) - Like several acts on this week's chart, this band had two Top 40 hits. Both were big hits that lasted quite awhile on the charts. This was a good song, but I preferred "I Love You", which charted four years later and we'll likely be hearing on next week's 1981 show. 36: ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A LOVE SONG - THE CARPENTERS (40) - This duo was clearly beginning to fizzle out at this point, but what a career they'd had up to this point, with a ton of Top 40 hits! This was a really good one, IMO. 35: IT'S SAD TO BELONG - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (39) - A song about a guy who is bored with his marriage and meets someone that he feels is his soul mate. The lyric that doesn't make sense to me is how, if he had a time machine, he'd go back to the day he was born. How about just going back as far as the day you met the girl who you'd end up marrying? Anyway, I actually liked this song and felt this should have gotten higher than #21. 34: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (debut) - Their third and final Top Ten hit (in fact, after this, they'd have one last Top 40 hit before fading into obscurity. Anyway, this is about the only song by them that I like). 33: WHEN I NEED YOU - LEO SAYER (26) - One of three Top 20 hits that Leo charted with during the year. It was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred his other two songs, which bookended this one. 32: LUCKENBACH, TEXAS (THE BASICS OF LOVE) - WAYLON JENNINGS (36) - This was Jennings' second of three Top 40 hits. It wasn't bad - sounded a little like an Elvis song. Not quite as good as his "Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard", however. 31: YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (34) - This song reminds me a little of Joni James' 1955 hit "How Important Can It Be". The song is quite cheesy, like most of Reddy's songs, but still pretty good. 30: AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE - JOE TEX (12) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. At least it took a good dive this week! 29: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (37) - Cooper was more famous for his loud, hard-rocking songs, but he had a few slow ones as well, which I preferred. My favorite song from him is "Only Women", but this one, as well as his hit from earlier in the year, "I Never Cry" aren't too far behind - all of them are great songs! 28: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM "ROCKY") - MAYNARD FERGUSON (29) - The first of two versions of this song on the chart. I preferred Bill Conti's version, but this one was pretty good as well. 27: KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU - ABBA (31) - Their second of two hits from 1977 ("The Name Of The Game" doesn't count, as it wasn't even heard on AT40 until 1978). Though I preferred "Dancing Queen", this one was a great song as well! OPTIONAL EXTRA: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR - I actually associate this more with 1978, since that’s when my Mom played his JT album a lot (plus, she was really good at playing this song on her guitar). Definitely one of his best and I prefer this over the original by a fairly wide margin. 26: ARIEL - DEAN FRIEDMAN (27) - This may have been his only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got a lot of mileage, especially for a song that peaked at #26 - ten (non-consecutive) weeks in the Top 40 and 22 on the Hot 100! I love this song - heard it many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. 25: SIR DUKE - STEVIE WONDER (9) - This song was falling very erratically on the Hot 100. Two weeks before, it took a hard fall from #1 to #9, and then held there for another week. This week, it takes another gigantic fall to #25 - and held at that position the week after. Is that weird or what? Anyway, Stevie dropped several names in this song, all of musical pioneers that time did not allow us to forget, including the king of all, Duke Ellington, to whom, of course, the title referred. Although I prefer several other songs by Mr. Wonder, this was a great one nonetheless. 24: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (35) - After a modest, four-place move the week before, this song really takes off this week. This was the band's very first hit, and it became their biggest ever, peaking at #6 and lasting a half a year on the Hot 100! Very deservedly so, as it was a great song - one of their best IMO. 23: (YOU LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (33) - This song did made a nearly identical chart move to Pablo Cruise - a smaller one and then a large one the next week. This was most definitely my favorite version of this song (most versions use the same gospel flavored arrangement of the song - this one was actually a MOR/disco type song). It apparently worked, as this was the most successful version of the song (chartwise, that is). 22: LOVE'S GROWN DEEP - KENNY NOLAN (24) - A two-hit wonder, like the Climax Blues Band, although I imagine that most people don't remember this one, as it has fallen into obscurity. Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind. 21: HIGH SCHOOL DANCE - THE SYLVERS (23) - Their first two hits made the Top Five, but this one petered out at #17. Can't really call this "Third-Single Syndrome", as the three songs weren't from the same album. This song wasn't bad, but my favorite from them was "Boogie Fever". 20: SLOW DANCIN' DON'T TURN ME ON - THE ADRISI BROTHERS (20) - Another "two-hit wonder". Their first hit charted in 1972 and five years later, they came back with this song, which was peaking at #20. This one was OK, but nothing special. 19: I'M YOUR BOOGIE MAN - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (8) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later, ending their streak of hitting #1 every time they hit the Top Ten. 18: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (25) - This song hit #1 on the R&R chart in late July, and looked like it could do the same on Billboard, but didn't quite make it. It still became his biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, since it's my favorite song of his. 17: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG - MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (14) - Yet another "two-hit wonder", and this is by far their best known of the two hits - and my favorite as well (though I seem to remember that "Fire On The Mountain" was pretty good as well). 16: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (19) - The first of at least two songs on the countdown during 1977 that McCann wrote. As stated earlier, I prefer the other song; this one was way too schmaltzy IMO. 15: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (21) - The only of the Gibb brothers that was not in the Bee Gees, but his solo career was definitely a success! His first three singles all hit #1. This was by far my favorite song from him (and it eventually went on to become AT40's top song of 1977). 14: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (18) - Her second of two Top Five hits during the year 1977. Both are great songs, but I slightly prefer this one. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER - You can tell this show was played in 2012, as this song, which would not debut on the Hot 100 until six weeks later, was played in tribute to Donna Summer, who had died a month prior. Anyway, this was pretty much part 2 of "Love To Love You Baby". I wasn't a huge fan of this one - I preferred Summer's 1978-80 era. 13: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW (15) - This was his third and final #1 hit. No matter; he'd have many more big hits. This was by far my favorite of his #1 songs. 12: MARGARITAVILLE - JIMMY BUFFETT (17) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins". They usually butchered this one, cutting out the instrumental bridge, as well as the ending (when he repeats the last two lines of the chorus) and this week was no exception. Did they ever play this song intact during its chart run? 11: LIFE IN THE FAST LANE - THE EAGLES (13) - This song just barely missed the Top Ten, ending the streak that they had going (though the streak would have been broken anyway in early 1979, as "Please Come Home For Christmas" wasn't on the chart long enough to hit the Top Ten, as it was a seasonal hit). As for this song, I liked it, but preferred their two other "Hotel California" hits. 10: JET AIRLINER - STEVE MILLER BAND (11) - The second of four Top 40 hits for the band during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits. 9: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (10) - They may have been a one-hit wonder, but they got a lot of mileage out of this song, which spent 19 weeks on the chart. I used to like this one, but not so much anymore, as it's about infidelity - plus the music is kind of boring. 8: DA DOO RON RON - SHAUN CASSIDY (16) - The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it would hit #1 three weeks later. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one. 7: LONELY BOY - ANDREW GOLD (7) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other one, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, but the other song is a close second. Both are great songs, IMO. 6: DREAMS - FLEETWOOD MAC (1) - Interesting that this song hit #1 on their tenth anniversary as a band. This was the biggest single from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay, as well as its repetitive melody, with only two chords used intermittently. It's still a pretty good one, though. 5: LUCILLE - KENNY ROGERS (5) - 400 children and crap in the field? Oh wait, that's something else... Anyway, this was pretty good, but I prefer many others from him. 4: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (4) - The first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band! 3: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (6) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write several other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man"). 2: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM "ROCKY") - BILL CONTI (3) - This song was in the midst of taking it step-by-step all the way to the top. Casey was correct when he predicted it being #1 the following week. As mentioned earlier, this was my favorite of the two versions of this song on this week's chart. 1: GOTTA GIVE IT UP - MARVIN GAYE (2) - I'm generally not a huge fan of Marvin Gaye, but for some reason, I like this one. Kind of a surprise, as this one has been compared to "Blurred Lines", a song that I still hate with a passion after ten years.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 25, 2023 13:21:50 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 24, 2023
This week's presentation - June 25, 1983
Droppers: NO TIME FOR TALK – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (40) - His Another Page album sure did not measure up to the success of his first album - that one generated four Top Twenty hits (including the #1 hit "Sailing"), but it looked as though he wouldn't have a single Top Ten from his sophomore album (he did end up peaking at #9 with the third single, though). This was IMO his most underrated hit ever - definitely one of my favorites from him. THE CLOSER YOU GET - ALABAMA (38) - The fourth and final country crossover from Alabama. Possibly my second favorite of those behind "Love In The First Degree"
LW#1: FLASHDANCE..WHAT A FEELING – IRENE CARA 40: CUTS LIKE A KNIFE – BRYAN ADAMS (debut) - The second hit, as well as the title track, from the album that put Adams on the map here in the States. It was OK, but definitely not his best. I generally preferred the Reckless era. 39: SOLITAIRE – LAURA BRANIGAN (31) - This used to be my favorite card game in the world! As for the song, it was good, but I preferred her two songs that bookended this one. 38: WHITE WEDDING – BILLY IDOL (debut) - The final release from his second album, which was eponymously titled. I'm surprised that this song peaked so low (climbed no higher than #36), as I remember hearing this quite a lot in the summer of 1983 on Chicago's WLS. 37: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - BRYAN ADAMS (29) - His very first Top 40 hit made the Top Ten, and there was a lot more where that came from! As for my opinion of the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred the Reckless era. 36: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (26) - It wasn't until nearly twenty years ago that I realized how nasty this song was. Nevertheless, I thought it was a great song - one of his best! 35: DON’T PAY THE FERRYMAN – CHRIS DEBURGH (35) - Great to hear DeBurgh’s less-known Top 40 hit, which preferred slightly over "The Lady In Red". Too bad this song didn't last any longer on the chart than it did. 34: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE – THOMAS DOLBY (20) - 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. LDD: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND – ANDREW GOLD - This song, of course, was still quite popular in the LDD department (remember - this was before songs like "That's What Friends Are For", "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Because You Loved Me" came along). It was a great song and fitting for this dedication. 33: 1999 - PRINCE (39) - Of course, at this point, 1999 is almost a quarter of a century in the past and, surprise, surprise - the world did NOT end in 1999. This song had three chart runs - one from 1982, this one, and the last one at the beginning of the year responsible for this song's name. Due to the overplay, I'm still burned out on it and it is actually one of my least favorite songs from him (not that I was crazy about it in the first place). 32: SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) – THE EURYTHMICS (37) - It has been said that they tacked on the subtitle so as not to confuse it with Air Supply's "Sweet Dreams" from the previous year. Whether or not this is true is not certain, but anyway, this was the first of ten Top 40 hits from them, and it was their biggest, hitting #1 in early September. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS - Of course, AT40 usually played the single version of the song which I preferred, because it pretty much got straight to the point, without all the instrumental mumbo jumbo and the spelling of "Safety", as if we didn't already know how to spell it. 31: ROLL ME AWAY – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (33) - The third and final Top 40 hit from The Distance. Despite the fact that the two others were bigger hits, this was the only single from that album to appear on Seger's first Greatest Hits album. I liked all three singles about the same (for different reasons, of course, since the musical style of all three was quite diverse). 30: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY – DONNA SUMMER (34) - She was indeed one of the biggest artists of the disco era. This became her biggest hit since then, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 (and going all the way on the Soul chart). I wasn't a huge fan of this song; I rather preferred her earlier material, as well as a few of her hits later in the 80s. 29: WISHING (IF I HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU) – A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS - (30) - Despite a good-sized chart jump the week before, this song only managed to climb one this week. This band was pretty much a "flash in the pan" - they had three Top 40 hits within the span of a year and then they were gone. This song was pretty good, but I preferred their first two hits. 28: THAT’S LOVE – JIM CAPALDI (28) - When someone told him to go play in traffic, he did just that - he was the drummer in the band called Traffic, with Steve Winwood and Dave Mason. This was his only solo hit, which I felt was quite underrated. 27: STAND BACK – STEVIE NICKS (36) - She was still an active member of Fleetwood Mac, but also had a successful solo career going as well. This was the first of three hits from The Wild Heart. It was a good one, but sounds quite a lot like "Little Red Corvette... 26: BABY JANE – ROD STEWART (27) - Tell you what, I never liked this song during its chart run, but now I think it’s a great one, though nowhere near as successful as his other "girl" hit (of course, that would be "Maggie May"). Just like the week before, Casey mentioned the upcoming Top 40 Acts of the 80s show in conjunction with this song, even though Stewart was not among those acts, since he had only had two Top Tens within the 80s up to that point. 25: IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW – DURAN DURAN (32) - Yes, there is something you should know - this song is royally annoying! I preferred many others by them, including their breakthrough hit here in the States, "Hungry Like The Wolf". 24: THE WOMAN IN YOU – THE BEE GEES (24) - It looked like the Bee Gees were making a comeback, but it wasn't a big one, as this didn't even hit the Top 20 (they would, however, return to the Top Ten six years later with their song "One"). 23: TRY AGAIN - CHAMPAIGN (23) - This song indeed looked promising at first with a debut at #30, with prospects of it possibly surpassing the #12 peak of their first hit, but that was not to be, as the song only peaked here at #23, where it held for three weeks. The song did well at AC radio, though, peaking at #6 (and I remember hearing it on U93's Top 93 of 1983 countdown). I liked their two Top 40 songs about the same - both great songs! 22: WE TWO – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (22) - They'd definitely had their day in the sun several years before, over a period of about three and a half years, but, unfortunately, this was their next to last Top 40 hit. It was definitely one of my favorites from them, giving "Lady" a run for its money. 21: ALL THIS LOVE - DEBARGE (25) - The second hit for this R&B family act from the Motor City. I liked it better than their first Top 40 entry, "I Like It", but IMO, it's not quite as good as "Time Will Reveal", which charted at the end of 1983. I see a resemblance between this song and Beth Nielsen Chapman's "That's The Easy Part", the latter, from Chapman's 1990 self-titled album. 20: MY LOVE – LIONEL RICHIE (6) - This song was the third of an incredible 13 consecutive Top Ten hits for Mr. Richie. It was a good one, but my least favorite of his three Top 40 songs from his debut album. 19: OUR HOUSE - MADNESS (21) - This was the first of two hits with which this British band charted here in the states (although they are often regarded as a one-hit wonder, as not many people know their second hit, "It Must Be Love"). I prefer this song, which I remember hearing on the radio all the time back in the summer of 1983. Just a few years ago, I learned the meaning of the line "the kids are playing up downstairs". For the longest time, I meant that it meant that they were running up and down the stairs, but "playing up" is actually a British term for "misbehaving" (commonly referred to as "acting up") 18: OVERKILL – MEN AT WORK (5) - Their debut hit, "Who Can It Be Now" (which this sounds somewhat like), hit #1 on the Hot 100, but not R&R. The tables were turned with this song, as this spent three weeks at #1 on the latter and peaked at #3 on the former. Truly, the Cargo singles, sadly ignored by 80s stations were superior to the two from Business From Usual, which you can count on hearing during any two-hour period listening to any 80s station. Anyway, this was definitely my favorite song from this Australian band. 17: COME DANCING – THE KINKS (19) - An act who was part of both British invasions. Though the Kinks were more famous for their '60s and early-70s hits, this was actually their biggest hit. It had tied "Tired Of Waiting For You" for its peak of #6, weeks at the peak (2) and weeks in the Top Ten. "Tired", however, spent only eight weeks in the Top 40 and this song bested that by four weeks. Anyway, this is one of my favorite songs from them. 16: I’M STILL STANDING – ELTON JOHN (18) - I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #12, considering it got a ton of airplay during the summer of 1983, and definitely had a summer feel to it. Must have been a poor seller. Anyway, I liked this song - one of his best 80s hits! 15: WANNA BE STARTIN’ SOMETHING – MICHAEL JACKSON (19) - Well, he had definitely long since started a long string of hits, and it would not be finished anytime soon! This wasn't bad, but I found it sort of annoying - especially the album version, which seemed to go on and on. Fortunately, AT40 usually, if not always, played the single edit, which was nearly two minutes shorter. This week, however, they played an edited version of that one (cutting out both of the "you're a vegetable" verses). 14: SHE’S A BEAUTY – THE TUBES (16) - The second Top 40 hit from this band formed in San Francisco. I was never a big fan of this one; my favorite of theirs was actually their near-miss on the Hot 100, "Talk To Ya Later", from the fall of 1981. 13: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME – NAKED EYES (8) - Here's one of those acts that only lasted a little over a year on the charts. This was the biggest of their four hits and the only one that made the Top Ten. I preferred their next hit "Promises Promises". 12: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY (12) - Strange that this song missed the Top Ten, since it still receives a ton of recurrent airplay, especially on AC-based oldies stations. Their record company must have worked more on promoting the Frontiers album and not as much the singles. Anyway, I like this song, but preferred many others from them. 11: BEAT IT – MICHAEL JACKSON (11) - This song featured an (awesome) guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. As a result, it was played on AOR stations as well as Top 40 radio. This was my favorite single from Thriller. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - TACO - The man is Dutch and he named himself after a Mexican food - go figure! Anyway, this song, originally a hit over 50 years before, was updated so as not to sound out of place by 1983 standards. It was a good song. I must say, it's #4 peak was quite a far cry from its run on the R&R chart, where it only got as high as #17. I wonder if it would have been #1 on the Sales chart, had it existed back then. Moreover, I'm quite surprised that it didn't hit the Top Ten on the Pop chart, as the radio stations I listened to all played this song regularly. 10: TOO SHY - KAJAGOOGOO (15) - I don't think I need to remind you how annoying I think this song is, do I? 9: AFFAIR OF THE HEART – RICK SPRINGFIELD (9) - There was a record-setting 24 foreign acts on the chart this week and Springfield was one of three artists on the chart this week representing Australia. This song wasn't bad, but this is around the time when his musical quality was beginning to slip. 8: NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO – SERGIO MENDES (13) - Today, this song would be billed as "Sergio Mendes featuring Joe Pizzulo & Leeza Miller". This was a somewhat overplayed song that I loved to death at first, but eventually got tired of it. I do like it now; the synth bridge after the second verse is great! LDD: PRECIOUS AND FEW - CLIMAX 7: DON’T LET IT END - STYX (7) - heir second and final Top 40 hit from Kilroy Was Here. This was also my favorite of the two, since Mr. Roboto was pretty much played out, although, as I've stated before, it can be hard for me to listen to this song and, on several occasions, I've had to turn the volume down during the first verse, including this week, since I'm worried about a friend of mine for reasons that I won't go into right now. The song isn't quite as depressing once the beat picks up right before the first chorus. This week, the song was edited by linking the two choruses, cutting out the guitar solo in the process. 6: FAMILY MAN – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (10) - Meh, not one of their better hits by a longshot. My least favorite of their 1983 hits, although it was actually good to hear after the Styx song, what with the way I'm feeling this weekend. The duo was the #1 act on the upcoming Top 40 Acts of the 1980s countdown, which Casey plugged several times throughout the show. 5: LET’S DANCE – DAVID BOWIE (3) - The beginning of the song sounds so much like the refrains in "Twist And Shout". Though I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, I actually thought this one was pretty good - my favorite of his two #1 hits. 4: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE (14) - With the way this song was zooming up the charts, you knew it had to be a big hit, but little did anyone know just how big this one would be! Eight weeks at #1, and an almost across-the-board #1 song of 1983 - in fact, many publications listed this song as the biggest hit of the entire decade! And overplayed - was it ever! Seriously, back in the summer of 1983, it was a challenge to listen to any Top 40 station for an hour without hearing this song. The song is still played out on 80s-based AC and oldies stations. I do, however, like this better than a few of their 70s songs (like "Roxanne" and "Message In A Bottle"). 3: ELECTRIC AVENUE – EDDY GRANT (4) - Definitely one of the most played songs of the summer of 1983 (It was #1 on WLS for three or four weeks). It was a good one, although I did get tired of hearing it no less than ten times a day. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S A MISTAKE - MEN AT WORK - Well, they definitely had a great year, but their chart days were nearing the end. This would end up being their last Top Ten hit. It was my second favorite of theirs, behind "Overkill". Is it me, or did Mike Kasem give the wrong position that this song would debut the following week? 2: TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART) – CULTURE CLUB (2) - This was only their second hit and they were already on a roll. Of their Kissing To Be Clever singles, this would probably be my favorite. 1: FLASHDANCE..WHAT A FEELING – IRENE CARA (1) - Here's another song that was overplayed back in the summer of 1983 - I didn't like it much in the first place, then overplay made me hate it - then, somehow, I began liking this song around the time it was starting to head down the charts. Now I think it's a great song - one of my favorite #1's of 1983.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 25, 2023 20:27:40 GMT -5
Fun fact:Prince played the synthesizer on "Stand Back" by Stevie Nicks.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 25, 2023 21:59:58 GMT -5
Can't believe that "Overkill & "It's A Mistake" by Men At Work are ignored on stations that program a greatest hits format-They're far better than "Who Can It Be Now?" & "Down Under".
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