Chart Critiques

[mrjukebox]

Interesting factoid:Joe Walsh played guitar on "Don't Mean Nothing".

[chrislc]

Aug 26, 2023 22:29:05 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

"It's Not Over (Til It's Over)" is a well-known saying which is attributed to the legendary baseball superstar Lawrence "Yogi" Berra.

Per Yogi, he actually said ‘Yeah, it’s (time) running out, but you’re still not out of it until it’s automatic.'

www.pitcherlist.com/it-aint-over-one-of-baseballs-favorite-sayings-was-never-said/

Almost exactly 50 years ago today.

[dmvden]

Mar 24, 2023 15:28:41 GMT -5 Hervard said:

American Top 40: The 80s - March 25, 2023

This week's presentation - March 28, 1987

...
4: TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT - GENESIS
LDD: AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS - Interesting that this Phil Collins song was placed right after a song by him singing with his band. But seriously, this was indeed a sad Long Distance Dedication. I hope that the cousin of the writer of the dedication eventually turned up, as he went missing after a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi.
3: LET'S WAIT AWHILE - JANET JACKSON (2) - This song broke the record this week for the most number one hits from the same album on the Soul chart, as this was the fourth song from Control to hit the top of that chart. Anyway, this was a great song with a great message about abstinence and my favorite of the Control singles.
...

I was just listening to this show today and did a web search of the incident described in the LDD. It has a tragic outcome:

www.findadeathforum.com/showthread.php?38980-Robert-Terry-Wilson-Jr-Mammoth-Cave-KY-1987

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - September 2, 2023

This week's presentation - September 1, 1979

Droppers:
GOLD - JOHN STEWART (35) - Here's one I remember from back in the day! This one featured Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals - making an already great song even better!
MAKIN’ IT – DAVID NAUGHTON (31) - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable.
IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM – JOE JACKSON (21) - This is one I remember from back in the day. Sugar Ray did a remake of this song back in 2003, but the original is definitely the best.
I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU - KISS (16) - The band had gone disco by this time and that didn't really work for them, as this was their only Top 40 single with a disco beat. I myself prefer their slow songs (as did the general Top 40 audience, as their two Top Ten singles were both ballads).

LW#3:THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT – BARBRA STREISAND
LW#2: GOOD TIMES - CHIC
LW#1: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK
40: YOUNGBLOOD – RICKIE LEE JONES (debut) - This song just barely prevented her from becoming a one-hit wonder, as it only spent a single week in the Top 40. This song wasn't bad - not sure if I prefer it or "Chuck E's In Love".
39: HOLD ON - TRIUMPH (40) - The first Top 40 hit for this hard rock band from Toronto. I've only heard a handful of their songs, but I like all of them, this one included.
38: SATURDAY NIGHT – HERMAN BROOD & HIS WILD ROMANCE (debut) - A one-hit wonder from Holland. The song was pretty good IMO.
37: GIRL OF MY DREAMS – BRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY (38) - Like the above song, a one-hit wonder and it peaked in the 30s. This song ran out of gas at #37, which was too bad, since it was a good song.
36: WHAT CHA GONNA DO WITH MY LOVIN’ – STEPHANIE MILLS (22) - This one sounded a little like something that George Benson should have done (his trademark scat singing would definitely fit).
LDD: TRAGEDY – THE BEE GEES - LOL @ the dedication - from a preteen girl who didn't have any friends because she was the only girl her age in the neighborhood, and in her family, so she dedicated this to the neighborhood. As for the song, it's a great one - one of their best!
35: DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH – MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - His first of four Top Ten hits from Off The Wall. Not a big fan of this one at all - easily my least favorite song from the album!
ARCHIVES: MY EYES ADORED YOU – FRANKIE VALLI - If my memory serves me correctly, this song, at one time, held the record for the slowest climb to #1 (which was eclipsed a little less than a year later by "Love Machine" by the Miracles). As for this song - it was a good song, but I prefer several others by him, solo or with the Four Seasons (including at least two songs from later in 1975).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: STREET PLAYER - CHICAGO - Wow, this was a curveball extra, seeing that it was never released as a single, or doesn't get a lot of airplay as an album cut - from an album that wasn't one of their best albums anyway. But, seeing that it was sampled in a few songs, including Pitbull's first Top Ten hit "I Know You Want Me", there might be a little familiarity there. Anyway, I thought this was a pretty good song.

Wow! This was one of only three shows that I know of that would start off the second hour at #34 (the other two was also in 1979 - March 17 & 24, to be exact). There might be more, though - they likely would have featured the Top 3 recap, which didn't start until late February, and a LDD in the first hour.

34: YOU CAN’T CHANGE THAT - RAYDIO (13) - This may have been a summer song, since it took such a big drop this week, which marked the unofficial end of the season. Or maybe this just happened to be a week that sales fell and many radio playlists dropped it from their playlists. Anyway, 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!)
33: LOVIN’, TOUCHIN’, SQUEEZIN’ - JOURNEY (37) - Remember, they say "na" exactly 154 times in the song. Yes, there was a time that I was so bored that I actually counted them. 22 na's in each group, and there are seven groups of na's, so do the math from there (although they faded the song before the end - around the end of the fifth group of "na's". Anyway, the song is a good one - one of my favorites from them.
32: THE BOSS – DIANA ROSS (36) - No surprise that this was the top disco song in the country, as Ross was indeed a hot disco artist. I wasn't generally a big fan of her disco songs, but I actually liked this one (probably because it wasn't overplayed like some of her other songs).
31: POP MUZIK - M (39) - Robin Scott tied the band Q for the act with the shortest name - and you sure can't get much shorter than one letter! Anyway, I think that we all know that I'm not a big fan of this song. But many people here do like it and really, more power to you. It just doesn't do anything for me.
30: OH WELL – THE ROCKETS (33) - Originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac in the late 1960s, this song saw chart action ten years later as recorded by this Detroit rock band. It was pretty good, but nothing exceptional.
29: RING MY BELL – ANITA WARD (12) - This was definitely a summer hit, and after riding high on the charts since the beginning of the season, it takes a large drop this week. Anyway, I heard this one a few times at the local skating rink back in the day. It was OK, but nothing special.
28: DIFFERENT WORLDS – MAUREEN MCGOVERN (32) - You could definitely tell that this was a TV show theme - from the somewhat short-lived TV show Angie. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from her.
27: CRUEL TO BE KIND – NICK LOWE (30) - Here's another one I remember from back in the day! It was a good one. Glad they didn't cut out the second verse like they did several times during the song's chart run (including the previous week).
26: HIGHWAY SONG - BLACKFOOT (27) - This was your typical late-70s southern rock song. It was pretty decent, IMO.
25: BORN TO BE ALIVE – PATRICK HERNANDEZ (28) - Disco was definitely declining noticeably and this one might have made the Top Ten otherwise, but it still gets a decent amount of recurrent airplay. The song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional.
24: MORNING DANCE – SPYRO GYRA (24) - This was the second of the two instrumentals on this week's chart. I preferred this one - a great song with sort of a Caribbean flavor, with the congas and marimba. That said, it was a surprise to find that they were formed in Buffalo, New York!
23: I DO LOVE YOU – G.Q. (25) - The second of two Top 40 hits, both in 1979, from this soul group from the Bronx. Their first hit was a dance/disco song and this one was more mellow. I preferred this song of the two.
ARCHIVES: LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE - For whatever reason, this was played as the final Optional Extra. Well, anyway, this was a great one, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: PLEASE DON'T GO - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND - UGH, who could blame her for leaving, what with this whinefest. I'd run for the hills, daring not to look back!
22: DRIVERS SEAT – SNIFF & THE TEARS (29) - Hmm, I wonder how they came up with a band name like that? As for the song, it wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
21: BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU – ROBERT PALMER (26) - Given how much this song is played on oldies stations today, it's a surprise that this song never hit the Top Ten (though it did peak at #7 on R&R). The song's not bad, but I've never been a huge fan of Robert Palmer (though I did like his two Top 40 remakes).
20: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU – BONNIE POINTER (22) - She was a former member of the Pointer Sisters, but left the group the year before to pursue a solo career. This song, her only solo Top 40, was pretty good, but I generally preferred songs by the Pointer Sisters.
19: RISE – HERB ALPERT (34) - This song was more than living up to it's name, as it was the fastest rising hit on the chart this week. Instrumental songs weren't quite as popular as they were earlier in the decade, but there were still a few that hit the charts - two of them in this week's Top 40. This was the biggest instrumental to chart in 1979, hitting #1 in October. I was glad, as this was one of my favorites from Alpert.
18: HOT SUMMER NIGHTS - NIGHT (20) - Actually, there weren't many of those in 1979, as, here in the Great Lakes area, it was a relatively mild summer, with only two days on which it hit 90 degrees (although I did go to the beach quite a lot that summer). Anyway, this was the first of two hits from this L.A. band. It was a good one, but I preferred the follow-up, which featured Chris Thompson on lead vocals.
LDD: YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD – HELEN REDDY - This was indeed a long distance dedication, since it was from a young lady in Fairbanks, Alaska to her junior high school friend in Arlington, Virginia, although the distance is not quite 5000 miles - the driving distance is about 4300 miles. No matter - it was still way too far for both people involved. Anyway, this song was quite cheesy, but it did fit the dedication.
17: WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN – DR. HOOK (11) - 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.
16: GOODBYE STRANGER - SUPERTRAMP (18) - The second of three Top 20 hits from Supertramp's multi-million selling album Breakfast In America. It was actually about this time back in '79 that I bought this album (at a discount store known as T G & Y), so I heard this song all the time back then, mainly on said album.
15: LET’S GO – THE CARS (17) - I remember hearing this one at the beach every now and again back in the summer of 1979. It's a good song, but I generally preferred their 80s hits (mainly from Heartbeat City).
14: SAIL ON – THE COMMODORES (23) - This one had sort of a country feel to it. It apparently worked, as it was burning up the charts, looking like it might be their second #1. It didn't quite make it, but it did hit the Top Five (and also managed to top the R&R chart for three weeks). They did manage to grab their second #1 hit later in 1979 (with "Still"). I preferred this song by a wide margin - definitely one of my favorite songs by the Commodores.
13: SUSPICIONS – EDDIE RABBITT (15) - Wow, sort of a trade-off here - above a song that has a heavy country sound to it by a band who usually doesn't sing that kind of music, is possibly Rabbitt's most un-country sounding song ever. It had more of a smooth jazz sound to it, but it was a great one, IMO
ARCHIVES: LOVING YOU – MINNIE RIPERTON - Wow, her biggest hit came up in the archives just weeks after she passed away. The cheese factor was definitely present in this song.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SPOOKY - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - Appropriate song, given that boo-time was coming up in two months. Anyway, this was a good song, and, during the instrumental bridge, as well as the last verse, it sounded a lot like the original (since it was in the same key). Not sure if I prefer this one or the original by the Classics IV.
12: LONESOME LOSER – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (19) - Here's one I remember hearing a lot during the fall of 1979. It was pretty good, but I preferred LRB's two other 1979 hits by a fairly wide margin.
11: BAD GIRLS – DONNA SUMMER (5) - Another hot summer disco song here, dropping out of the Top Ten after ten weeks, half of those at #1. Although I preferred "Hot Stuff", which had dropped off the chart the week before, this was a good one as well.
10: I’LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN – DIONNE WARWICK (14) - A member of a very musical family and, at the time, she was the most successful on the charts, but little did anyone know that Warwick's first cousin would come along six years later to give her a run for her money. As for the song, it's a great one - one of my favorites from her.
9: MAMA CAN’T BUY YOU LOVE – ELTON JOHN (9) - I'm surprised that we don't hear this song much anymore, given that it was a Top Ten hit. I liked this one - one of his best late-70s hits.
8: SAD EYES – ROBERT JOHN (10) - With all the baby steps this song was taking (though it had made a few large moves a few weeks earlier), who knew that it was going to go all the way to the top? This song would tie "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder as the slowest climb to #1 - a total of 21 weeks each - a record that would stand for about two and a half years. Anyway, this is definitely my favorite of the two songs.
7: LEAD ME ON – MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (8) - 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.
6: THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (7) - Definitely their signature hit. It's a good one, but my favorite song from them is "Still In Saigon".
5: DON’T BRING ME DOWN – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (6) - With the chart momentum of this song (which was in only its fourth week in the Top 40), this song looked like a sure-fire #1, but, in fact, the song climbed only one spots higher. That was enough to make it their biggest hit (peak-wise, that is; "Telephone Line" might have had a few more points since it had three more weeks in the Top 40 despite peaking as many spots lower). I liked the song back in the day, but quite overplayed. I preferred their other 1979 Top Ten, which is sadly ignored by radio anymore.
4: AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (4) - One of their most successful hits ever - in fact, according to the R&R chart, it was their most successful, as it was #1 there. The song did well on the Hot 100 as well, peaking at #3. This used to be one of my favorite songs, but now, I find it mediocre.
3: THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT – BARBRA STREISAND (3) - Interesting to hear an upbeat song by Streisand (though this was the only one that I liked - I think you all know that I did not like her duet with Donna Summer from later that year).
2: GOOD TIMES - CHIC (2) - This one is kind of overplayed, but I do prefer it over "La Freak". But my favorite of their 1979 hits, as you probably know all too well, was "I Want Your Love"
1: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK (1) - This song was in its second of six weeks at #1. Despite the fact that this song was played ad nauseum in 1979, I actually didn't really get tired of it, but somehow, a few years ago, I somehow decided that I'd tired of it many years before and didn't even know it. I preferred "Good Girls Don't", which charted about a month later. Thankfully, they played the single version of the song, with the shorter instrumental bridge.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - September 2, 2023

This week's presentation - September 7, 1985

Dropped:
LIVE EVERY MOMENT – REO SPEEDWAGON (36) - Well, the first two hits from Wheels Are Turnin' both hit the Top 20, yet this one couldn't push past #36. It wasn't one of my all-time faves from them, though it was still pretty good. I was generally a big fan of their music, especially the power ballads.
WHEN YOUR HEART IS WEAK – COCK ROBIN (35) - Must! Resist! Inserting! Lecherous! Batman! Joke! Here! But seriously, this song was pretty good, though a little cheesy.
STATE OF THE HEART – RICK SPRINGFIELD (34) - Nice to hear him do a slow song. By now, Rick had long since had his day in the sun. He would only hit the chart once more after this, about two and a half years later.
ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE) – FREDDIE JACKSON (33) - He was big on the soul charts (where this one spent six weeks at #1), but he also had a few Pop hits as well. This one, as well as the others, were great, but my favorite song from him was his Christmas song "One Wish".
GLORY DAYS – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (32) - Wow, the droppers were all in a row on the preceding weeks' countdown. That didn't happen too often, IIRC, Anyhoo, Bruce had recently joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as only the third artist to score with five Top Tens from a single album. Bruce wasn't done yet, though - he released two more songs from Born In The USA and those hit the Top Ten at well, tying him with Michael Jackson for the record number of Top Tens from one album. This was one of my favorite songs from the album - a great one indeed!

LW#1: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
40: SPANISH EDDIE – LAURA BRANIGAN (debut) - That would be Eduardo, wouldn't it? But seriously, this was possibly her most underrated song ever, as the song only got as high as #40. I feel it deserved a higher peak, as it was one of her best songs IMO.
39: I WONDER IF I TAKE YOU HOME – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (38) - This must have been one of those songs that received sporadic airplay, due to the fact that it only drops one spot this week, yet four songs above it last week fall out of the countdown. Well, whatever the case, this was a pretty good song, but as we all know, I preferred "All Cried Out" by a wide margin.
38: I GOT YOU BABE – UB40 WITH CHRISSIE HYNDE (debut) - A very interesting reggae version of the Sonny & Cher classic. Too bad they didn't re-release it later on like they did "Red Red Wine", since it may have done a little better on the charts.
37: DO YOU WANT CRYING – KATRINA AND THE WAVES (debut) - This song was clearly riding on the coattails of their recent Top Ten hit "Walking On Sunshine", as #37 was all the higher it got. I liked it, but preferred said Top Ten hit.
36: NO LOOKIN’ BACK – MICHAEL McDONALD (40) - Co-written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (along with Ed Sanford, of "Smoke From A Distant Fire" fame), this song appeared on both Loggins' 1985 album Vox Humana and Michael McDonald's album to which this was the title track. Both versions sound very much alike, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Either way, it's a great song!
35: YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) – DEAD OR ALIVE (22) - A two-hit wonder band from Liverpool, England. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit (as was this one) about two years later, but this one's pretty good as well (though it's too bad Flo Rida had to go and mess it nearly a quarter of a century later).
34: C-I-T-Y – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (39) - They had a nice little string of hits over the past year. This would probably be my third favorite of them behind "Tough All Over" and "Tender Years".
33: DANCING IN THE STREET – MICK JAGGER & DAVID BOWIE (debut) - This remake of the old Martha & the Vandella’s classic was the biggest mover of the week. It was a good song - I liked it about the same as the original.
32: FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART - STING (debut) - As his first solo hit was on its way down the chart, his second solo hit was heading up the chart, en route to a peak at #8. This would be my favorite of the four hits from the Dream Of The Blue Turtles album.
31: WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW – DEBARGE (21) - It took a few years, but they finally hit the Top Ten in 1985 with "Rhythm Of The Night". This one followed suit, peaking at #6 several weeks earlier. This was easily my favorite of the two hits!
30: EVERY STEP OF THE WAY – JOHN WAITE (37) - His first solo hit, "Missing You" went to #1, but he couldn't seem to match that success with any of his follow-ups. This song, which uses a line from that song as the opening lyrics, was underrated, IMO.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: PART TIME LOVER - The first of three Top 40 hits from Wonder's In Square Circle album, and his ninth and final #1 hit (unless you count his role in "That's What Friends Are For").
29: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY – PAUL YOUNG (19) - This was definitely among the most played songs of the summer of 1985, but it has held up quite well. I don't think I ever got tired of this song, and I'm glad that it made it to #1.
28: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE - STING (18) - This song, Sting's first of many solo Top 40 hits, was said to be an antidote to his biggest hit ever, "Every Breath You Take", which he considered "a really nasty song". Whether that's true or not, I'm not completely sure, but it does sound feasible. Either way, I like this song, but generally preferred his 90s hits.
LDD: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – DOLLY PARTON - Kind of weird to hear this one on AT40, since I don't believe that it ever hit the AT40 chart. Had the letter been written ten years later, I doubt seriously that this would be the version of the song to be played.
27: MYSTERY LADY – BILLY OCEAN (24) - One of only three Top 40 hits during Ocean's chart career that did not hit the Top 20. I guess slow jams like this were passé. Anyway, I thought it was a good song, though certainly not his best.
26: THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL – EURYTHMICS (27) - Of course, we know full well that this is my favorite of their Top 40 hits! Lennox's vocals are somewhat theatrical sounding, and Stevie Wonder does a killer harmonica solo in the bridge of the song!
25: LONELY ‘OL NIGHT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (30) - The first of five Top 40 hits from Mellencamp's album Scarecrow and possibly my favorite song from the album (although "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and "Rain On The Scarecrow" were good ones as well).
24: CRY – GODLEY & CREME (29) - "Huh huh - he's faking. He's not really taking a dump!" Yeah, when I saw the episode of Beavis & Butthead with the video to this song, I never saw it the same way again!
23: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU – WHITNEY HOUSTON (31) - She had only just begun and was already taken the charts by storm! Her first hit, which had left the chart the week before, got as high as #3 and this song would become her very first #1, and there was quite a lot where that came from! It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her.
22: SHAME – THE MOTELS (25) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit. It was my least favorite of their hits, but was still a great one - that said, it's too bad they didn't have more Top 40 hits.
21: TAKE ON ME – A-HA (28) - The first hit for this Norwegian act, who's often known as a one-hit wonder, because of this song (as not everyone is familiar with "The Sun Always Shines On TV"). This was a great song, and I'm glad it hit #1!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MIAMI VICE THEME - JAN HAMMER - One of three instrumentals that charted in the Top 40 during 1985, as well as the most successful, as this song made it to #1. I liked this song, but I preferred the other two 1985 instrumentals.
20: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (15) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s.
19: LIFE IN ONE DAY – HOWARD JONES (20) - Like DeBarge, heard earlier in the show, he didn't start hitting the Top Ten right away, but he did manage to make it earlier this year. This one did well too, peaking in the teens. It was my favorite of his hits up to this point (my absolute favorite would chart a little less than a year later).
18: OH SHEILA – READY FOR THE WORLD (26) - The first of three Top 40 hits from this R&B band from Flint, Michigan, as well as the biggest (would hit #1 in October). It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Love You Down".
17: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (23) - Madonna was on a roll at this point, with five Top Fives in a row (this one would follow suit), and there was a lot more where that came from! This was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs.
16: SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM – MOTLEY CRUE (17) - Something I got caught doing once back in my sophomore year. Fortunately, the teacher just scoffed and walked off - didn't want to waste his time apparently, so I dodged a bullet there! As for the song, it was a pretty good song, considering I wasn't a huge fan of them.
15: DARE ME – THE POINTER SISTERS (16) - Ah, the infamous “uptempo GD number”, as Casey Kasem put it in the infamous Dead Dog Dedication the week before. It’s a good song. I’ve said many times that the Pointer Sisters’ music quality started going down as of 1984, but this was an exception.
14: NEVER SURRENDER – COREY HART (7) - This was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all.
13: SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS (6) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without.
12: FREEDOM – WHAM! (14) - This used to be my favorite song ever since I first heard it in mid-June, 1985, when B-96 gave this song early action, when "Everything You Want" was still in the Top Ten. However, overplay sort of dimmed my like for this song. This song had a normal climb up the BB chart, but was burning up the R&R chart until it hit the Top Ten, and it only got as high as #6. I have a feeling that early action on other stations besides B-96 played a role in that. It peaked at #3 on Billboard though, which is surprising, seeing that this was their fourth single from "Make It Big". Usually, sales are quite small for fourth singles, especially from such a successful album as "Make It Big" was. Maybe the fact that the single version was different than the album version (I think) was instrumental in that (wasn't the single version the one with the trumpet solo at the end?) Another question - is it me or did they cut out the second verse more often than not during this song's chart run?
11: INVINCIBLE (THEME FROM “THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN”) – PAT BENATAR (12) - Her fourth and final Top Ten hit (I know, right; I thought she had more than that as well!) Anyway, this wasn't quite my favorite song from her, but it was pretty good.
10: POP LIFE - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (13) - This was one of my favorite songs by Prince, but it sure seemed to come and go pretty quickly - so much that, even though it got as high as #7, it didn't even make the Top 100 of the year, which I thought was a shame. It did a lot better on my Personal Top 30, though, hitting #1 and ranking #4 on the year-ender.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M GOIN' DOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - He may have been goin' down, but the song was on its way up, en route to #9. It was a good song, but one of my least favorites of the seven Born In The USA singles.
9: YOU’RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) – BILLY JOEL (9) - I liked the way that Joel decided not to go back and correct the goof in this song (when he flubbed a line near the end and laughed) in order to prove the point he was making in this song, which I thought was a good one, but it wasn't his best.
8: DON’T LOSE MY NUMBER – PHIL COLLINS (11) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album.
LDD: ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - GILBERT O'SULLIVAN - Though the LDD was rather inspiring, I always thought this song was depressing.
7: CHERISH – KOOL & THE GANG (8) - This song just barely missed hitting #1, but the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, I liked this song - it was my second favorite single from Emergency behind "Fresh".
6: MONEY FOR NOTHING – DIRE STRAITS (10) - One of three songs on this week's chart that Sting's involved with (of course, he's the one who wants his MTV). The song was OK, but it was very overplayed. I preferred their three other Top 40 hits, as well as a few album cuts from their first, self-titled album.
5: SUMMER OF ‘69 – BRYAN ADAMS (5) - Of course, this song told a fictional story, as Adams was only nine years old that summer - he'd be riding bikes and playing touch football, not playing in a band.
4: FREEWAY OF LOVE – ARETHA FRANKLIN (3) - With none other than Clarence Clemons playing sax, this was Aretha's comeback hit - that put her back into the Top Ten, that is. It was definitely a comeback over on the R&R chart, from where she'd been absent for over eleven years. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album, as well as a few of her songs after that.
3: WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME) – TINA TURNER (4) - Like Heart, Tina Turner was definitely most successful on the charts during her 1980s comeback, and this is one of her biggest hits, just missing the top spot, peaking at #2. I thought it was a good song, though I preferred a few of her others.
2: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (1) - A song from one of the best movies ever, IMO. I loved the Back To The Future trilogy! This was played in the first one as Marty McFly rode his skateboard to school after finding out he was 20 minutes late, hoping to dodge his principal, but no such luck. This is possibly the song by Lewis that gets the most recurrent airplay anymore. I like it, but wish that radio stations would occasionally play a few of their big hits that are all but ignored nowadays.
1: ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) – JOHN PARR (2) - The first of two songs from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack to hit the Top 40. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie, which would debut on the countdown a month later.

[mrjukebox]

In his "Chartbeat" column which appeared in the 9/7/85 issue of "Billboard",Paul Grein pointed out that the top three hits from that week were from hit movies-He said that was the first time that ever happened.

[mrjukebox]

The album version of "Lovin' You" has Minnie Riperton singing "Maya,Maya" a few times-She was singing to her daughter Maya Rudolph who grew up to become a cast member on "Saturday Night Live".

[mrjukebox]

The original version of "Spooky" by Dennis Yost & The Classics IV peaked at # 5 in early 1968-Like the remake that Atlanta Rhythm Section did.

[mrjukebox]

"Smokin' In The Boy's Room" was originally a hit for Brownsville Station in late 1973-early 1974-It peaked in the top five.

[mga707]

Sept 3, 2023 21:23:04 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

"Smokin' In The Boy's Room" was originally a hit for Brownsville Station in late 1973-early 1974-It peaked in the top five.

...and it is many times better than Crue's weak remake! Peaked at 3 w/e 01/19/74.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 2000s - Labor Day Weekend, 2023

Special presentation - September 1, 2001

Droppers:
HERE'S TO THE NIGHT - EVE 6 (24) - The final of three Top 40 hits for this southern California rock band. It was a good one - I slightly prefer it over their first (and biggest) hit, "Inside Out", which was a Top Ten hit in late 1998.
FOLLOW ME - UNCLE KRACKER (23) - This was, IMO, one of the most overrated hits of 2001. I seem to remember a lot of people on a message board on which posted a lot in 2001 hated this one. I was not a big fan myself, mainly due to overplay.
LADY MARMALADE - CHRISTINA AGUILERA & FRIENDS (20) - Now THIS was the summer hit of 2001. I remember jamming to this one during the leisurely drives I would take that summer. I preferred this one over the original by Labelle (which I heard as an Archives song on one of this weekend's American Top 40: The 70s show.

40: DON'T NEED YOU TO (TELL ME I'M PRETTY) - SAMANTHA MUMBA (debut) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, but I seem to remember that Rick Dees gave it an extra week either the week before or the week after to keep another song off, though I forget which one. I preferred this one over her debut hit "Gotta Tell You", but it wasn't quite as good as "Baby Come On Over", to which this song was the follow-up.
39: I'LL FLY WITH YOU - GIGI D'AGOSTINO (40) - I vaguely remember this one from the summer/fall, 2001. It would peak at #34, but spent nine weeks in the Top 40. It was OK, but nothing exceptional.
38: CLINT EASTWOOD - GORILLAZ (debut) - I remember them most for their 2005 hit "Feel Good Inc.", which, for some reason, was given a second chart run in early 2006. I recall that song wasn't bad, but this one was somewhat annoying (as it was a rap song).
37: AFROMAN - BECAUSE I GOT HIGH (debut) - Meh, next song please...
36: CRUSH - MANDY MOORE (38) - This young lady from New England had seven Top 40 hits, all of them before she turned 20. This was possibly my favorite of them - the melody reminds me a little of "The Word", a Top Ten Christian pop hit from earlier in the year.
35: AM TO PM - CHRISTINA MILIAN (39) - Known for her #3 hit from the summer of 2004, this was the debut hit for this Jersey City artist. It was a pretty decent song, IMO.
34: SANDSTORM - DARUDE (37) - A meteorological phenomenon that I hope I never experience. But seriously, this was a very interesting song - an instrumental with a Eurodance beat. This was Darude's only Top 40 entry.
33: THE ROCK SHOW - BLINK 182 (32) - The third Top 40 hit for this band from the west coast. Such a shame that this song only got as high as #31, as I thought it was a great song.
LDD: HEAL THE WORLD - MICHAEL JACKSON - A song from a girl whose family was torn apart by war. This was the fifth release from Jackson's Dangerous album and I am shocked that it didn't do any better than it did (peaking at #21 in April, 1993), given its great message.
32: PURPLE HILLS - D-12 (36) - This hip-hop act from Detroit had their biggest chart success in the summer of 2004 with their Top Five hit "My Band", which featured Eminem, a member of D-12. This was one of their two Top 40 hits on their own. For reasons I don't think I need to explain, I was not a big fan of this song.
AMERICA'S TOP HITS: FOOLISH GAMES - JEWEL (1997) - One of two Top 40 hits from the Batman & Robin soundtrack, as well as the most successful. This song was the B-side of her previous hit, "You Were Meant For Me", giving Jewel somewhat of an unfair advantage (as that caused the record to resurge on the Hot 100 and re-enter the Top Ten. Its chart run totalled 65 weeks, which at the time was a record (since beaten by a handful of other songs). I thought this song was pretty good, but it was not quite her best.
31: I DO - TOYA (35) - One of two hits for this young artist from St. Louis, whom was named after LaToya Jackson. This song title was used by several other artists, such as the J Geils Band, Lisa Loeb and another one that I can't think of off the top of my head (not 98 Degrees), but I seem to remember it was from the late 1990s.
30: ONLY TIME - ENYA (34) - Another two hit wonder here - a new age artist whom first charted in the spring of 1989 with "Orinoco Flow". This was her biggest hit, peaking at #12 in November. It is said that this song got a boost on the chart by the events of September 11, 2001, since many people needed a chill out song to ease their stress about the situation. Whether this is true or not, I'm not sure, but whatever the case, I liked this song.
29: BAD DAY - FUEL (31) - One of two Top 40 hits from 2001 for this band from Harrisburg, PA. I thought it was OK, but I wasn't generally a huge fan of them, though I seem to remember that I rather liked "Falls On Me", their most successful chart hit from three years later.
28: EVERYWHERE - MICHELLE BRANCH (33) - This artist from Arizona had six Top 40 hits and I must say, it's too bad she didn't have more, because I loved her music. My favorites from her would be "All I Wanted", a Top Five hit from the following year and her vocals on Santana's "The Game Of Love". This was also a great one!
27: BE LIKE THAT - 3 DOORS DOWN (30) - This band charted nine times in the 2000s, including three number one hits (all of which were among the biggest hits of the decade). This song had somewhat of a yo-yo style chart run. It appeared to have peaked a few weeks ago at #27, but it was getting its second wind this week on the way to a new peak of #16. I liked this song, but preferred "Kryptonite".
26: FILL ME IN - CRAIG DAVID (29) - The debut hit for this British artist - one of two of his hits that hit the Top Ten. I wasn't a huge fan of his music, though - his voice was rather monotonous.
25: TURN OFF THE LIGHT - NELLY FURTADO (27) - She had recently come off of a long chart run with her first hit "I'm Like A Bird" and, as that song dropped off, this second hit debuted. This one reminded me a little of "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, a Top Ten hit from early 1989. Not bad, but definitely not her favorite song from her.
24: WHERE THE PARTY AT - JAGGED EDGE f/NELLY (28) - This song reminded me a little of featured artist Nelly's hit "E.I." from earlier in the year (especially when he sing's "Uh-oh"). This song, which I believe was Jagged Edge's sole AT40 hit, wasn't exactly my cup of tea, though it wasn't hideously intolerable or anything.
23: FLAVOR OF THE WEAK - AMERICAN HI-FI (21) -
22: THE SPACE BETWEEN - DAVE MATTHEWS BAND (25) - Strange that, as many hits as Matthews and his band had, they only had a single Top Ten. That would be "What Would You Say", their debut hit. This one had peaked at #21 (on the R&R chart, anyway) several weeks before and it seemed to be getting a second wind, as it moved back up and would match its peak the following week, but would drop out via Radio & Records newly-modified recurrent rule, which stated that a song down in plays for three consecutive weeks would be removed from the chart once it dropped below #25. Unsurprisingly, the people at the trade paper realized very soon after that it turned out to be an inane rule and elimated it in November, with the 20/20 one reinstated at that time.
21: DRIVE - INCUBUS (14) - Here is a song that actually benefitted from said new recurrent rule (as it otherwise would have fallen out of the chart this week, as it dropped below #20 and had been on for over 20 weeks) and got three extra weeks on. This was the sole Top 40 entry for this California band. I thought it was a good one.
AMERICA'S TOP HITS: REAL WORLD - MATCHBOX TWENTY (1998) - The story behind this song was artist perks. The one that Matchbox Twenty demanded was a free round of golf at a course that escapes my memory. As for the song, well, it certainly got a lot of mileage on the chart, like many of their big hits. This song peaked at #3 (though for only one week instead of multiple weeks like their previous hit “3 am”). Both of those songs, by the way, are in a horse race for my favorite song from Yourself Or Someone Like You – they are indeed great songs!
20: I'M A BELIEVER - SMASH MOUTH (18) - This, of course, was a cover of the Monkees classic 1966 hit. Since both versions sound very similar, I like both of them about the same.
19: U REMIND ME - USHER f/CITY SPUD (22) - R&B artist Usher had a very successful Top 40 chart career, with a lucky 13 top tens. This was one of those, peaking at #6 a month later.
18: RIDE WIT ME - NELLY (16) - Another hip-hop/R&B artist whom was also successful at Top 40 radio as well. This was his third and so far most successful hit (had peaked at #3 two months prior). However, it wasn't one of my favorites from him by any means - I preferred many others, including a few of his #1s).
17: EVERY OTHER TIME - LFO (20) - This band's first album, which was self-titled, spawned five singles, including two that hit the Top 40 in 1999. From their second album, Life Is Good came this song, which became their biggest hit, peaking at #10 a few weeks later. This was my favorite of their charted hits.
LDD: TEARS IN HEAVEN - ERIC CLAPTON - Wow, what a sad LDD. An e-mail friend of the author of the LDD had died instantly of a heart attack while on vacation. At first, I thought the chosen song would be "You'll Be In My Heart", as she mentioned those words in her LDD. This was a very poignant song that Clapton wrote to help cope with the grief of the death of one of his children. Almost a year before this song charted, in 1992, Clapton's four-year old son, Connor, fell from a 53rd floor window at a New York City apartment he was visiting and, of course, did not survive the fall. This was one of my favorite songs during its chart run, but now, I just cannot listen to it, due to its depressing subject matter.
16: IRRESISTIBLE - JESSICA SIMPSON (12) - This song might have dropped off the chart a few weeks later due to the new recurrent rule, but it just so happened that its final week on the chart was its 20th, so it would have fallen out either way - how's that for a coincidence? Anyway, this was Simpson's fourth chart hit, and her biggest so far, having peaked at #2 about a month prior. This song was pretty good, although I preferred her first two Top 40 hits, from the year before.
15: PEACHES AND CREAM - 112 (17) - Yum! One of my favorite ice cream flavors! Just thinking about it makes me hungry for that delicious treat! But seriously, the band 112 was first introduced to the charts in 1997 as one of several featured artists on Puff Daddy's tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. "I'll Be Missing You". They did, however, have this one Top 40 hit on their own. As for my opinion of the song - let's just say that it is nowhere near as good as the aforementioned ice cream flavor.
14: FALLIN' - ALICIA KEYS (26) - Wow, I just heard this song the other day at I Hop. This was the biggest jump of the week, and, unsurprisingly, it was on its way to the top. Already, it had hit #1 on the Urban chart, where it was spending its sixth week on top, and at Top 40, it did almost as well, logging five weeks at #1. When I first heard this song, I wasn't sure that it would hit #1, as it sounded somewhat out of place for Top 40 radio, but I was definitely off-base with my predictions. This song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from her.
13: BOOTYLICIOUS - DESTINY'S CHILD (10) - This R&B act had finally hit the big time on the Top 40 chart the year before, after dog-paddling on the charts with their first three hits. They had a pair of #1's that year and weren't doing half bad in 2001 either, with three Top Ten hits. This was the second of those, which used the guitar riff of Stevie Nicks' 1982 hit "Edge Of Seventeen". It was a pretty good song, though slightly racy.
12: START THE COMMOTION - WISEGUYS (15) - As a few of you might know, I wasn't a big fan of this song, as I placed it low on my version of the charts, a project I used to do on a yearly basis (long story). As a result, it placed at #101 on the year-end chart I came up with. Casey jinxed this song by saying that they were closing in on their first Top Ten hit when, in fact, this song only climbed a spot higher.
11: I WANNA BE BAD - WILLA FORD (13) - Wow, a double Casey Kasem jinx here! He introed this song by saying that Ford was on the verge of her first Top Ten hit, while this song was, in fact, peaking this week.
AMERICA'S TOP HITS: SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN - PHIL COLLINS (1990) - Casey told the story about Phil's child acting career, which started when he was six, as he played one of the townspeople trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. This song was the fourth single from Collins' multi-platinum album ...But Seriously and it spent a pair of weeks atop the R&R chart, though it did not quite make it on the Hot 100 (songs by artists like Nelson and Maxi Priest proved to be a little heavier on the sales side). Though I did prefer this song over the mediocre “Do You Remember”, it is not my favorite song by him by any means.
10: I'M REAL - JENNIFER LOPEZ (11) - As big a hit as this was, I haven't heard it as many times as you might think, as the stations I listened to played the Ja Rule remix of this song (and didn't AT40 eventually switch to that version as well?) I liked that version, however, which is more than I can say for Ja Rule's remix of her 2002 hit "Ain't It Funny". This version, which would spend three weeks on top in November, was a good one as well.
9: WHEN IT'S OVER - SUGAR RAY (9) - LOL @ the story about Sugar Ray arriving in football helmets, combat boots, and their underwear to present their demo tape. As for this song, I really like it, as I remember hearing it for the first time on Memorial Day, when I was taking one of my longer drives, around the Porter and Lake County areas. I actually got lost on that drive and was getting frustrated, since I couldn't seem to find where I was (and, of course, as a man, I was too proud to stop and ask for directions). I was relieved when I passed through a town I was familiar with and was able to find my way back home from there. But I digress.
8: DROPS OF JUPITER (TELL ME) - TRAIN (8) - Here is another song I remember hearing a few times when on that drive. The song was on the verge of hitting the Top Ten, where it still was, in the midst of a seventeen-week run there. Despite overplay, there is something about this song that I never got tired of hearing.
7: HANGING BY A MOMENT - LIFEHOUSE (6) - Now THIS was an overplayed song if I ever heard one. The song spent eight non-consecutive weeks in the runner-up position (mainly behind "Lady Marmalade") and was in the Top Ten for its 20th week (out of 27). In all, the song would spend 36 weeks in the Top 40 and, rather unsurprisingly, ended up as the #1 song of 2001 - only the second time in R&R history that a song that never hit the top of the weekly chart ruled the year-ender (of course, the first one was "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon, the year before). I did get tired of this song, which I was never a big fan of in the first place. I preferred a few others from the L.A. band.
6: IT'S BEEN AWHILE - STAIND (7) -
LDD: I TURN TO YOU - The third of many Top Ten hits from this artist from the Big Apple. I liked this song, but preferred several others from her, my two favorites being "Beautiful" and "Hurt". This was very fitting for the dedication, as it was from a young girl to her grandfather, with whom she was very close and could talk to about anything.
5: WHAT WOULD YOU DO - CITY HIGH (4) - The first of two Top 40 hits for this hip-hop trio, as well as the most successful, having peaked in the runner up position two weeks before. It wasn't bad, but I seem to recall that I preferred "Caramel", which would be released later in 2001 and peak at #15 early the following year.
4: ALL OR NOTHING - O-TOWN (3) - The first hit by a band born on the ABC/MTV reality show called Making The Band, which I never really watched, since I was rather irked that it was included in the TGIF line-up two seasons before, even though it was not a sitcom. I was never into the reality show thing anyway, but that's probably because I was past the general age at which the shows were aired. This, of course, was the biggest hit for the band, which didn't last long, as they disbanded in 2003 (though they did re-unite in 2013, they have not charted any further). Of course, I think you know all too well that my favorite song from them was their Top 40 miss from 2003, "I Showed Her".
3: SOMEONE TO CALL MY LOVER - JANET (5) - Janet had released her first album, All For You, in four years back in April. The title track was a #1 hit and this song was peaking this week at #3. The first thing many notice about this song is that it samples the guitar riff of America's Top Ten hit from 1972 "Ventura Highway". I liked both songs about the same, though for different reasons - I thought both of them were great.
AMERICA'S TOP HITS: DRIVE - THE CARS (1984) - I forget what the story was leading into this song, which, to this day, I still find kind of depressing for me due to personal problems I was going through around the time it began its chart climb. I did, however like their two other Top 40 ballads ("Why Can't I Have You" and "I'm Not The One").
2: LET ME BLOW YA MIND - EVE w/GWEN STEFANI (1) - If not for the song at #1, which pretty much blazed a path up there, this song would have had more than a single week run at the top, as it spent four weeks in the runner-up position, even keeping its bullet for the first two of those. This was the debut hit by rapper Eve. I imagine that Gwen Stefani, the lead singer of No Doubt, a band that was still together at the time, was somewhat instrumental in how well this song did (as Eve's other Top 40 hits featured relatively established artists on them). I do like this song a little better than I did during its chart run, though it's still nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
1: HIT 'EM UP STYLE (OOPS) - BLU CANTRELL (2) - Wow, I must have never listened to the lyrics of the song, as I never knew what it was about until Casey explained it going into the song. But I never really paid attention to this song, as it was never one of my favorites. But it wasn't anything horrible, either. This was the song's first of five weeks on top.

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Interesting thing about "Hit 'Em Up Style" is that while it's from a woman's POV, it was written by a man (Dallas Austin). Brilliant track, and one of my favorite late summer hits from 2001.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - September 9, 2023

This week's presentation - September 4, 1976

Droppers:
TEDDY BEAR – RED SOVINE (40) - This was the previous week's only debut. It sure didn't last long in the chart, did it? All I can say is I'm not surprised!
LAST CHILD - AEROSMITH (39) - Most of the droppers were near the bottom of the chart, due to the slow chart the week before. Anyway, this was a good song, but I generally prefer their 80s and 90s hits.
GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE – THE BEATLES (38) - Here's one I remember quite well, since it was #1 on the station I listened to back in 1976 - WLS in Chicago, so I heard it all the time that summer. It was a great song!
SPRINGTIME MAMA – HENRY GROSS (37) - The second song by one of several artists connected to the "Dead Dog Dedication". I preferred his other song, but this wasn't bad either - reminded me a lot of the Beach Boys.
MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT - STARBUCK (34) - This song had a rather odd chart descent. After peaking at #3 a month before, the song took not one, but two big drops yet rests at #34 the week. A few suspicious chart moves this week indeed! Anyway, of their two Top 40 hits, this one would be my favorite.
I’M EASY – KEITH CARRADINE (32) - Meh, sounds more like second-rate Jim Croce. I used to like this song, but not much anymore.

40: DON'T FEAR THE REAPER - BLUE OYSTRER CULT (debut) - A classic rock staple here. The album version, which radio usually plays features, the instrumental bridge, but it was cut out in this song (as far as I know, it was never used on AT40).
39: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - OLIVUA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - No, this was not the original version of the song Journey charted with at the end of 1981. It was completely different. But you already knew that, right? Anyway the song was pretty good, but sounds a lot like her other mid-70s hits. I preferred said Journey song.
38: THAT'LL BE THE DAY - LINDA RONSTADT (debut) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”)
37: ROCKIN' ME - STEVE MILLER BAND (debut) - Here's one I remember quite well from back in the day! Glad this one got to sneak in a week at the top before Rod Stewart began his marathon run up there.
36: AFTERNOON DELIGHT - STARLAND VOCAL BAND (30) - Ah, a song about engaging in a quickie with your significant other during your lunch break. This is another song I remember from 1976 (needless to say, I had no idea what it was really about, though).
35: MAGIC MAN - HEART (debut) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou, although it seems like they faded the record out near the halfway point of the song, but that's mid-70s AT40 for ya! This was the Wilson sisters' second Top 40 hit, and it made the Top Ten, unlike their debut hit, "Crazy On You". Both songs still get regular airplay on classic rock and oldies stations (and I remember both from back in the day, since WLS played them constantly).
34: DISCO DUCK - RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS (debut) - OK, how in the world did this goofy, annoying song get to #1? Oh yeah, disco was all the rage back in 1976. Whatever...
33: YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON (35) - With six debuts this week, it would seem logical that this was one of the droppers, but it actually moves back up two spots this week (it was a fluke, though, as the song fell clean off the survey the following week). This was the tenth and last (as well as biggest) hit for this American soul and gospel singer from Hanceville, Alabama. It was a pretty good song IMO.
32: ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME - DIANA ROSS (36) - I assume that it's no coincidence that this sounded so much like her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This was a good song - much better than her previous hit "Love Hangover", but I preferred her other 1976 hit, "Theme From Mahogany".
31: TURN THE BEAT AROUND - VICKI SUE ROBINSON (26) - There definitely is not much difference between this and Gloria Estefan's cover 18 years later. That said, I don't know which version I prefer.
30: I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE - HELEN REDDY (33) - Wow, kind of refreshing to hear a non-cheesy song from her. I don’t even mind the fact that this is disco.
29: STREET SINGING - LADY FLASH (31) - Interesting story about how the popular fad of street singing launched the careers of many artists. This was only hit for Barry Manilow's back-up singers. It was a good song but, of course, I preferred most of Barry's big hits.
28: ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC - THE BEACH BOYS (18) - This song definitely showed that, even though the sixties was clearly their decade, they still had it in the 70s!
27: GET AWAY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (29) - Indeed, one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1970s! Though this isn't quite as good as "That's The Way Of The World" and "September", it was still a good song nevertheless.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: NADIA'S THEME (THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) - BARRY de VORZON & PERRY BOTKIN JR. - The theme from the ever-popular soap opera. I definitely recognize the music, even if I have never seen any episodes of it. I like it - a great chill-out type song.
26: SHOWER THE PEOPLE - JAMES TAYLOR (28) - This is a song that has aged quite well - still sounds great 40 years later!
25: SHE'S GONE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (27) - This was their second hit, and the best was definitely yet to come for this dynamic duo! This song was so/so, but definitely not their best.
24: KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - THE MANHATTANS (11) - *GROIN* They went with the version of the song that includes the spoken word part at the beginning. Come on, the song's depressing enough, huh? Anyway, as we all know, I preferred "Shining Star" over this song any day!
23: WHAM BAM (SHANG-A-LANG) - SILVER (25) - Track 11 on Volume 2 of Barry Scott Presents: Lost 45s of the 70's & 80's, a CD I've listened to many a time, so I've heard this song many times as a result. It's a good one!
22: LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (15) - Now here is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1976, as the radio stations I listened to played it constantly. I definitely prefer it over "Dream Weaver", which is the only of Wright's three hits that receives any recurrent airplay (though once in a blue moon I do hear this one).
21: WHO'D SHE COO - OHIO PLAYERS (23) - Meh, I think we all know why I don't care much for this song...
20: STILL THE ONE - ORLEANS (22) - They had three Top 20 hits, and I really liked all three of them about the same, but this one would be my favorite by a thin margin over the other two.
19: A LITTLE BIT MORE - DR. HOOK (21) - Meh, this used to be one of my favorite songs from them, but for some reason, such is not the case anymore. Give me "Better Love Next Time" any day!
18: IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW - CHICAGO (24) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first #1 song! Another great song that I remember from back in the day!
17: DEVIL WOMAN - CLIFF RICHARD (20) - His first Top 40 hit in over a decade ended up being his biggest hit ever, peaking at #6 a few weeks later. This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his 80s hits.
16: WITH YOUR LOVE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (19) - Another high point for JessieLou! This one sounded very much like their big hit "Miracles", from the year before. I liked it, but I preferred their two 1978 hits when Marty Balin was still lead singer.
15: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - TAVARES (17) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song.
14: GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (9) - This song had a rather odd chart run - it moved from #16 to #6, where it peaked, dropped to #13 and returned to the Top Ten for a two-week encore). This song was OK, but Jim Seals sounded like he had a runny nose in this song.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BETH - KISS - They may be more known for their hard rock songs, but their two biggest hits, both of which hit the Top Ten, were ballads, and those are among my favorites from them. I like this song and "Forever" about the same.
13: SAY YOU LOVE ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (14) - Their self-titled album had been out for over a year and the following week, would hit #1 on the album chart, setting a record for the slowest climb to #1 on that chart. As for this song, I thought it was good, though I slightly preferred "Rhiannon".
12: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (12) - As Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart, the second single from it was sitting at its peak and would start its chart descent the following week. The song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from what would become the top album of the year.
11: SUMMER - WAR (13) - I always thought this one was released a little too late - it should have been put out in May so it would hit the chart in time for summer. The song had debuted on the AT40 chart when summer was just about half over. The song peaked at #7 on the weekend after the fall equinox. I wonder if the song would have done any better if released earlier. No matter; it did hit the Top Ten. I actually like this song at any time of year.
10: THIS MASQUERADE - GEORGE BENSON (10) - A nice, mellow chill-out type song, as was his next release, the instrumental "Breezin'". Too bad the latter didn't hit the Top 40.
9: LOWDOWN - BOZ SCAGGS (16) - He had a few low charters in the early-70s and a minor Top 40 hit earlier in 1976, but this is that song that really put him on the map. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his other hits that charted after this.
8: DON'T GO BREAKIN' MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (1) - Despite its hefty drop from the top spot this week, this song was still in the midst of a then-unheard of seven-week stay atop the R&R chart, and didn't do too shabby here on AT40 either, having spent the past four weeks at #1. As you might guess, this was another song I remember quite well from 1976 - I don't think I ever went a day without hearing it. But overplay did not tarnish this song at all, and it still sounds great today!
7: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY (8) - This was an interesting disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. One of the most successful instrumentals of all time (and THE most successful instrumental to be adapted from a classical composition - in this case, the Fifth symphony of Ludwig Von Beethoven, hence the song's title).
6: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - WILD CHERRY (7) - Ever since Vanilla Ice went and messed up this song in early 1991, I never was able to look at this song in the same light ever again!
5: SHAKE YOUR BOOTY - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (6) - This song was looking like it was almost done, as it had held at #6 the previous week and this week, moved up a spot to #5. It surprised everyone next week, however, as it leapt to number one. While I prefer a few others by them, this still is better than their 1979 whinefest "Please Don't Go".
4: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (5) - The brother of half of the duo back at #14 was en route to peaking at #2 with the first hit for him, along with his "sidekick". This was my favorite song from them. (Please, don’t even get me started on how Barry Manilow totally messed this song up about 20 years later with his dance remake...)
3: LET 'EM IN - WINGS (3) - One of the only songs I've ever heard that opens with a Westminster chime doorbell (interesting about how Paul McCartney wrote this song around that chime, which was at the former Apple Records headquarters, which Paul took over for his company after the Apple label dissolved). As for the song, it is my favorite of Wings' two Top Five hits from 1976. I still preferred a few others from them.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: FERNANDO - ABBA - The beginning of this song reminds me of "El Condor Pasa" by Simon & Garfunkel. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Abba, right up there with "Dancing Queen" and "Winner Takes It All".
2: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS (4) - This song would just miss hitting #1 two weeks later, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever.
1: YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN' - THE BEE GEES (2) - It was beginning to look like this song was going to peak at #2, as it held at that spot for three weeks, but they had just enough oomph to make it to #1 this week. This song was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Love So Right".

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - September 9, 2023

This week's presentation - September 13, 1986

Droppers:

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - WHAM! (38) - This was a bittersweet song for Wham! fans - their final Top 40 hit. But at least it was one of their best, IMO, anyway. George Michael, who was pretty much the voice of Wham! anyway, went on to have an even more successful career, so it really didn't make much of a difference.
OH PEOPLE - PATTI LABELLE (29) - This song was definitely riding on the coattails of LaBelle's recent duet with Michael McDonald, as #29 was all the higher it got. In fact, though it was still climbing the week before, the song dropped out of the Top 40 this week, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song!
YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) - JEFFREY OSBORNE (27) - This would have been a great song if not for the dumb title, and the "Can you woo woo woo" choruses. I preferred many other songs from him, like "On The Wings Of Love" and "Don't You Get So Mad"

LW#1: VENUS - BANANARAMA
40: TRUE COLORS – CYNDI LAUPER (debut) - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors.
39: VELCRO FLY – ZZ TOP (35) - This song debuted at #35 two weeks before, and that's where it peaked. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles.
38: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON – ROBERT PALMER (debut) - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Riptide Top Ten singles were overplayed (and "Addicted To Love" still is). The only song from the album I liked was "Hyperactive", since that song was not overplayed - in fact, I don't believe I ever heard it outside of countdown shows even during its chart run.
37: POINT OF NO RETURN - NU SHOOZ (40) - This song definitely didn't measure up to the success of their first hit "I Can't Wait", which is a shame, because I preferred this song.
36: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW – THE MONKEES (23) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which peaked at #20 two weeks before. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the late summer of 1986, as well as the beginning of my freshman year, although, by that time, radio stations weren't playing this much anymore).
35: SWEET LOVE – ANITA BAKER (debut) - This was the first of four Top 40 hits from her, though she did have a few more on the Jazz and Adult Contemporary charts. This song was pretty good, though I preferred other songs from her, such as just because and a few of said Jazz/AC hits.
34/LDD: WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF – JERMAINE STEWART - This was from a thirteen-year old girl who was definitely wise beyond her years, encouraging her peers to abstain from sex, especially during their school years. Of course, this was the late Jermaine Stewart's anthem about abstinence. It was my favorite of his two Top 40 hits (though the other one, "Say It Again" was a good one too).
33: A MATTER OF TRUST – BILLY JOEL (37) - This song had been out for quite awhile, so I was thinking this song wouldn't get too far. But the Columbia record label apparently heavily promoted this song, as it managed to hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but I preferred Joel's next release, "This Is The Time".
32: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) – SIMPLY RED (34) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically.
31: MAD ABOUT YOU – BELINDA CARLISLE (20) - Now that the Go-Go's were gone-gone, several members of the band embarked on solo careers. This was the first of six solo Top 40 hits by the lead singer. It was pretty good, but I remember hating it back in the day. I still prefer most of her other Top 40 hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: EARTH ANGEL (WILL YOU BE MINE) - NEW EDITION - The second hit from the Karate Kid 2 soundtrack to hit the Top 40 - though the song didn't quite measure up to the success of the first one, it did get as high as #21. It was a good song, and one of my favorite New Edition hits.
30: HEARTBEAT – DON JOHNSON (36) - The first chart hit for Sonny Crockett (and actually, his only solo hit, as his other Top 40 hit would be his duet with Babs "Till I Loved You". This was a great song - I remember hearing it all the time near the beginning of my freshman year in High School! Too bad they cut out the second verse (I could tell when they irregularly linked the first two choruses together).
29: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (32) - The Fab Four had the song's inclusion in two successful movies to thank for its return to the chart. Though it peaked much lower than in its original run, it spent four weeks longer on the Hot 100 than in that first run (as the charts in 1964 moved like lightning). I liked it, but the Beatles had many other songs that I preferred.
28: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (33) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. Another song that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22.
27: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER (39) - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one.
26: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (31) - Here's another song that takes me back to my freshman year! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts.
25: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (30) - One of several chart hits from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was, but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds, on someone's radio. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night".
24: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “KARATE KID PART II”) – PETER CETERA (18) - I preferred the first Karate Kid movie over the second (but that could be because I've only seen the second once while I've watched the first one multiple times). The song, however, was a great one - possibly my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit ever!
23: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (28) - Interesting story about how this song came about. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however. We'll be hearing my favorite song from them on next week's "A" show.
22: YANKEE ROSE – DAVID LEE ROTH (19) - This was another song that I didn't care much for back in the day (though I did like the part at the beginning - David's conversation with his guitar at the beginning of the song). Other than that...
21: PRESS – PAUL MCCARTNEY (26) - Despite the pretty good-sized jump this week, this was all the further the song got. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HUMAN - THE HUMAN LEAGUE - After an absence of over three years, they were gearing up to hit the chart with one of their biggest hits. Like "Don't You Want Me", this song hit #1. It was a good song, but I preferred the former.
20: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (25) - This song's four-week trend matched that of "Press", first moving up 11 spots, then two, and then five. This song, however, would fare much better on the chart than the Paul McCartney song, which would peak at #21 a few weeks later, while this song was en route to peaking at #4. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch.
19: RUMORS – TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (12) - Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often.
18: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (24) - As the old saying goes, third time's a charm, as this was Janet's third release from Control, and it went all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era.
17: TWO OF HEARTS – STACEY Q (22) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah part is somewhat embarrassing.
16: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (17) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, according to Casey, this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing.
15: MAN SIZE LOVE (FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) - KLYMAXX (16) - Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx.
14/LDD: PAPA DON’T PREACH - MADONNA - Wow, two LDD's this week involving songs in the countdown! I'm glad the author of the LDD reconciled with her father. As for the song, well I liked many of Madge's hits, but this was definitely not one of them!
13: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (15) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. This was a good song as well.
12: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (14) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one.
11: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (13) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: WILD WILD LIFE - TALKING HEADS - Of course, we all know how much I LOVED their first Top 40 hit of the 1980s (NOT!!) This one was a good one, though - not sure if I prefer this or "And She Was".
10: BABY LOVE - REGINA (11) - The only hit from whom many people consider a "Madonna clone", since their voices sound alike. Despite the fact that I'm not generally a big fan of dance music, I really liked this song.
9: WALK THIS WAY – RUN-D.M.C. (10) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, but back when this was on the charts, I did not like it, but in retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith.
8: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (8) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but one of my least favorite of their ballads.
LDD: YOU NEEDED ME – ANNE MURRAY - The only LDD that wasn't a song on the chart. It was a song that became somewhat popular in the LDD department, especially the first few years after its chart run. This was Murray's biggest hit on the Hot 100, hitting #1 about eight years before, and deservedly so, as it was one of her best songs IMO.
7: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (7) - Well, I never saw the movie, but I definitely remember the song. It was a great one, like most of McDonald's solo hits.
6: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (3) - Meh, the only good thing about this song is the fact that it was on its way down the chart. I'm still burned out on the song, mainly due to overplay (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place).
5: VENUS - BANANARAMA (1) - And the good news about this song is that it dropped out of the top spot. For some reason, this song never did anything for me.
4: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON & GLORIA LORING (5) - I did like the country cover version of this by Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton that was climbing the country chart about this time in 1986 which Casey played a drop piece of, but I was definitely getting tired of this version, as the radio stations I was listening to were playing this song to death. Now that we rarely hear it anymore, it's good to hear every now and again.
3: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (6) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and were on their way to their second (I was pretty sure right off the bat that this would be a #1, based on their super-high debut on the R&R chart at #21). This would log three weeks on top - one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year.
2: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (4) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over, or if the law of gravity happened to change. As for the song, it's pretty good, but definitely not his best song.
1: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (LOVE THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (2) - This was the second of two singles from Top Gun on this week's chart. It was a good song, but my favorite song from the Top Gun soundtrack was the album cut "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick. Too bad that wasn't released as a single.

[mrjukebox]

Hervard,here's a head's up-Next week's presentation from 9/17/83 features "Burning Down The House".