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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 16, 2023 14:08:18 GMT -5
"Calypso" which was the B-side of "I'm Sorry" was written about French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau & his ship of the same name-Evidently,John Denver spent some time with Cousteau & his crew.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 16, 2023 14:14:30 GMT -5
"Far From Over" was on the soundtrack of the movie "Stayin' Alive" which was the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever"-I remember the song was used in Season 10 of "Saturday Night Live" in a sketch on synchronized swimming in the Olympics.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 16, 2023 16:47:01 GMT -5
Michael Bolton's version of "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" reached # 1 in early 1990.
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Post by mga707 on Sept 16, 2023 17:11:20 GMT -5
"Calypso" which was the B-side of "I'm Sorry" was written about French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau & his ship of the same name-Evidently,John Denver spent some time with Cousteau & his crew. Everyone knew Cousteau and his ship "Calypso" at that time, due mainly to his numerous "The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau" television documentaries. 37 episodes were produced between 1966 and 1976, which aired on ABC in the U.S. and on the BBC in the UK. Rod Serling narrated the American versions. An initial 'TV special' aired (in the U.S.) in September 1966, followed by 36 more episodes produced between 1968 and 1976. I probably watched the vast majority of them, they were well-made. We all got to know Jacques and his two sons well. Episode details here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Undersea_World_of_Jacques_Cousteau
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Post by caseyfan100 on Sept 17, 2023 10:56:46 GMT -5
On this week's '83 countdown Michael Sembello appears twice. His song Maniac at #1 and the song he co-wrote Don't You Get So Mad by Jeffrey Osbourne at #25.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 17, 2023 15:53:49 GMT -5
Interesting to note that Earth Wind & Fire appear twice on this week's B show presentation 9/15/79-"Shinin' Star" from 1975 was one of the featured "AT40 Archive" songs & "After The Love Is Gone" was in the top five.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 25, 2023 11:49:48 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 23, 2023
This week's presentation - September 23, 1978
Droppers: MY ANGEL BABY - TOBY BEAU (39) - It was a group, not a solo male, like many people thought (such was the case with Pablo Cruise, who was also among this week's droppers). The song was pretty good. TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE - EDDIE MONEY (38) - During this song's chart run, they generally played a different version of this song than was usually heard on the radio (the single version, I would imagine). I remember hearing this song quite regularly back in the day. I liked it, but I preferred several others from the Money Man. LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - PABLO CRUISE (37) - Here is that song I mentioned earlier. I remember this one quite well from back in the day. A great song, though I slightly preferred "What'cha Gonna Do", from the previous summer. ROCK AND ROLL FANTASY - THE KINKS (30) - Their comeback Top 40 hit, after being absent from the chart since their Top Ten anthem "Lola". This song got as high as #30, but they'd be back about four and a half years later with what would become their biggest hit ever, "Come Dancing". As for this song, it was pretty good, but I preferred Bad Company's song of the same title from the following summer. CLOSE THE DOOR - TEDDY PENDERGRASS (25) - This was pretty much your typical old school R&B. It was pleasant, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
40: HEARTBREAKER – DOLLY PARTON (debut) - Her third Top 40 single to chart in 1978 (including "Here You Come Again"). I preferred that song, but prefer this one over "Two Doors Down". All three are good songs, though. 39: PARADISE BY DASHBOARD LIGHTS – MEAT LOAF (40) - This one was kinda weird - pretty much several different songs in one. 38: DEVOTED TO YOU – CARLY SIMON & JAMES TAYLOR (debut) - I wonder if the Everly Brothers were inspired by the church hymn "For The Beauty Of The Earth" when they wrote this song, since it sounds so much like it. I don't remember the original so I cannot fairly compare the two. 37: ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE – MICHAEL JOHNSON (debut) - This song had sort of a smooth jazz sound to it. It was good, but I preferred his other two Top 40 hits. 36: JOSIE – STEELY DAN (debut) - This was a typical Steely Dan song with their traditional jazz/rock sound. It was a good one, but I preferred a few others from them. 35: BEAST OF BURDEN – THE ROLLING STONES (debut) - Well you better never leave my pizza burning, especially if I'm paying for it! But seriously, this song wasn't bad - I definitely prefer it over their recent #1 hit, which is a few songs ahead. 34: MAGNET AND STEEL – WALTER EGAN (22) - Stevie Nicks, who this song was said to be about, was heard singing back-up on this song, which somehow, I associate more with the fall of 1978 instead of the summer (probably because that was when WLS played the song; it peaked on their survey in late October). I liked this song, but oreferred Egan's "Fool Moon Fire", a mid-charter in 1983. 33: MISS YOU – THE ROLLING STONES (20) - This was said other Rolling Stones song, which I was not a big fan of by any means. I did like their other disco song, which would hit the Top Five two years later (and was heard on last week's 80's "B" show). 32: 5-7-0-5 – CITY BOY (36) - They apparently chose to omit the prefix from the number, to spare people who happened to have such a number all the nuisance calls. Anyway, this song wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to. 31: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP – CRYSTAL GAYLE (34) - She was mainly a country artist, but she did have a handful of songs that crossed over to the Pop charts. This was my favorite of the four that hit the Top 40 - a great song indeed! 30: I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE (DISCO ROUND) – ALICIA BRIDGES (33) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but this one is an exception - in fact, it is one of my favorite songs on this week's chart. There's just something about it that I really like. It sure got a lot of mileage on the charts - debuted two weeks before, but wouldn't peak until Christmastime. 29: WHO ARE YOU – THE WHO (35) - What I really want to know is who is the person whose idea it was to include the falsetto for the chorus of this song? It is supremely annoying and negates any redeeming qualities the song might have. But that's just me; the song did hit the Top 20 and still gets a lot of recurrent airplay on classic rock stations today, so it's all good. I just don't care for the song, that's all. 28: YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (32) - Of course, love didn't keep them together and they got divorced several years back. As for this song, it definitely wasn't their best, but it's still better than the barf-inducing "Muskrat Love" (which I imagine we'll hear on a fall, 1976 show in the next month or so). OPTIONAL EXTRA: DOUBLE VISION - FOREIGNER - The second single from the album of the same title. This song is in a horse race with "Blue Morning, Blue Day" as my favorite song from the album. 27: JUST WHAT I NEEDED – THE CARS (27) - This song has aged quite well. Given all the airplay it receives on oldies and rock stations, I'm surprised that it peaked so low. 26: SHE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN – BILLY JOEL (31) - The final release from The Stranger. This was possibly my favorite of them, but it would be in a horse race, as all four singles from that album were great, IMO. 25: COME TOGETHER - AEROSMITH (29) - A remake of a Beatles classic, and it doesn't sound much different than the original. Because of that, I like both versions about the same. 24: BACK IN THE U.S.A. – LINDA RONSTADT (26) - This is a similar situation to "Devoted To You", as I can't say whether I prefer this or Chuck Berry's version of this song, since I've never heard the latter (that I know of). Linda's version was so/so, but definitely not one of her best. 23: GREASE – FRANKIE VALLI (18) - Though I still prefer the other charted songs from Grease, I've actually found myself liking the song a little better than I did previously. 22: LOVE THEME FROM EYES OF LAURA MARS – BARBRA STREISAND (23) - She was six weeks away from debuting with her whiny duet with Neil Diamond. This song peaked at #21, which was a shame, since I thought it was a great one - reminded me a little of "Wildflower" by Skylark. 21: GET OFF – FOXY (28) - Not a huge fan of this one, since it's the roof-raising R&B of which I'm not a huge fan. Interesting story about how the owner of the club that they played at got pissed at them for playing this song, despite his orders not to. 20: RIGHT DOWN THE LINE – GERRY RAFFERTY (24) - This was his second chart entry, as well as his second highest charting song. Of the songs of his that I'm familiar with, this would be my favorite. Too bad they butchered the heck out of this one. 19: SHAME – EVELYN “CHAMPAGNE” KING (10) - Her first of four Top 40 hits. It's not bad, but my favorite song from her is "Love Come Down", which hit the Top 20 in the fall of 1982. 18: OH DARLIN’ – ROBIN GIBB (21) - The second of three hits on this week's chart from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred his other Top 40 hit from four years later, entitled "Boys Do Fall In Love". 17: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (9) - And right here is the third song from that same soundtrack. This was also the most successful of those songs, having peaked at #9 the week before (as well as this week's #1 soul song). This was an interesting rendition of the Beatles classic. Of course the original was the best, but this one was pretty good too. 16: WHENEVER I CALL YOU “FRIEND” – KENNY LOGGINS & STEVIE NICKS (19) - YES!! This is possibly my favorite song on this week's chart - definitely one of my favorites from both artists involved! 15: HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS – BOB SEGER (17) - I don't remember this song from its chart run as I remember hearing it on the Stranger In Town album, which my Mom played all the time back in 1979. It's a pretty good song, but the only single from the album that I really liked was "Still The Same". There were several other songs on the album that I felt should have been released as singles. 14: YOU NEEDED ME – ANNE MURRAY (16) - Murray's only #1 hit on the Hot 100. It was a rather slow climber - it wouldn't hit the top until three months later (ironically, the song it knocked out of the top spot held the record at the time for THE slowest climb to #1). As for my opinion of this song - well, it was during her heyday, which started with this song, so I liked it a lot - one of my all-time faves from her! 13: YOU AND I – RICK JAMES (14) - Meh, nothing special - sounds like most of the disco material from the late-70s, by a man who had the most success on the R&B chart. He he did have a handful of Top 40 hits, though, and this was the most successful of them, peaking at #13. His second biggest hit, "Super Freak" was heard on this week's 80s "A" show, from 1981. 12: FOOL IF YOU THINK IT’S OVER – CHRIS REA (12) - Here's a good song I remember quite well. About ten years after he charted with this, he recorded a new version, which did not do justice to the original at all. He also had an AC hit in the summer of 1989, entitled "On The Beach". That is actually my favorite of the two hits, although this one was a good one as well. 11: LOVE IS IN THE AIR – JOHN PAUL YOUNG (13) - Another disco song that I don't really mind, though nowhere near as good as the Alicia Bridges song, IMO. 10: REMINISCING – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (15) - The first of two Top Ten hits from their album Sleeper Catcher. It's a great one but, of course, I preferred "Lady". 9: HOT CHILD IN THE CITY – NICK GILDER (11) - Of course, this song was about to set the record for the longest climb to the top. It was a good one. It's a good thing that the show extended to four hours the following week, as they butchered both this one and the Little River Band song. 8: HOT BLOODED - FOREIGNER (3) - Of course, this song's intro is very similar to the Pablo Cruise song that falls out this week. Of their three singles from Double Vision, this would be my least favorite, but it's a great song nevertheless. 7: DON’T LOOK BACK - BOSTON LDD/6: SUMMER NIGHTS – JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (7) - A very appropriate song for the LDD, as it was about a summer romance. 5: AN EVERLASTING LOVE – ANDY GIBB (6) - At first, this one looked like it was going to be another #1 for him, but as soon as it hit the Top Ten, it was unable to climb more than one spot at a time. But it was a Top Five hit, so that's cool. This was definitely one of my favorites from him - it's a close race between this and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything". 4: THREE TIMES A LADY – THE COMMODORES (2) - On the corresponding R&R chart, this song was dropping out of the top spot after an impressive six weeks on top. The song became a very popular wedding song (and it did get a few LDD requests, as I recall). Good reason, as it's a great song - one of their best! 3: HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (4) - As I've mentioned before, this was a special song between me and my ex-girlfriend, so it's been sort of hard to listen to, but you know what, we never really listened to it that often, so I guess it's not as bad as it could have been, and I have been able to appreciate the natural beauty of this song more and more as the years have passed (especially since our paths crossed in May of last year and she and I actually had a brief conversation, letting me know that we were at least back on speaking terms again). 2: KISS YOU ALL OVER - EXILE (5) - This song was pretty good, but after the situation in the movie "Happy Gilmore" involving this song, I've never been able to look at this song in the same light ever again 1: BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE – A TASTE OF HONEY (1) - This is another one of my favorite disco songs. Glad that this one made it to #1! I always thought that the bridge of the song (where they sing 'Get down, Boogie Oogie Oogie x 3) would have worked great for the chorus. Too bad they cut out the second verse and skipped right to said bridge. You don't do that with a #1 song!
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Post by Hervard on Sept 25, 2023 11:49:58 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 23, 2023
This week's presentation - September 26, 1987
Droppers: HEART AND SOUL - T'PAU (38) - One of many one-hit wonders that charted during 1987. I never particularly cared for this song, however. IT'S NOT OVER ('TIL IT'S OVER) - STARSHIP (36) - Their second-to-last chart hit (and their final Top Ten). It was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, in all three incarnations. LUKA - SUZANNE VEGA (34) - Does the opening notes of this song remind anyone else of the Jetsons' doorbell? Well, anyway, there are only two songs by Vega that I've heard, and this would be my favorite (I remember being sick of hearing the "do do dodo do dododo..." refrains of "Tom's Diner" everytime I turned on the radio in late 1990/early 1991). That song, by the way, was also on Solitude Standing album, only it was a cappella and the "do do do" part didn't come until the very end. As for this song - even though it falls off the survey this week, it is used as a LDD in the show's final hour. I WANT YOUR SEX - GEORGE MICHAEL (32) - No big loss, as I never cared for this one at all! If not for the lyrical content, this one might have become one of the biggest hits of the year - possibly even THE biggest. I might dislike "Walk Like An Egyptian", but I'd rather listen to that one than this. MARY'S PRAYER - DANNY WILSON (27) - By looking at the artist name, one would think it was a solo artist, but in fact, it was a band, and nobody in it was named Danny Wilson (their name was inspired by the title of a Frank Sinatra film called Meet Danny Wilson). This was their only Top 40 hit and IMO, it was a great one. LOVE POWER - DIONNE WARWICK & JEFFREY OSBORNE (26) - Today, this would be billed with Kenny G as a featured artist, since that's who was playing the sax in the bridge (with a broken thumb, no less), making an already great song even better!
40: DON’T LOOK DOWN (THE SEQUEL) – GO WEST (debut) - They didn't really hit the big time until the early 1990s, but they did have medium chart success in the 1980s. Their first single "We Close Your Eyes" just missed the Top 40 in 1985 and this song would peak a spot higher the following week, which I thought was a shame, as it was definitely my favorite song from them. When I first heard Michael W Smith's song "Cross Of Gold" (on his Change Your World album), I noticed a slight similarity to this song. 39: DON’T WAIT ME WAIT FOR LOVE – KENNY G (debut) - Like several songs, my opinion on this song varies, depending on which version is played. This week, they played the single version, which is by far my favorite. The album version is schmaltzed up. The vocals are more oversung, it doesn't contain as much saxophone and it seems to have an echo to it (from being overdubbed, I assume). 38: ROCK STEADY – THE WHISPERS (24) - The biggest of their four Top 40 hits - as well as my favorite. 37: IT’S A SIN – THE PET SHOP BOYS (debut) - This song has been compared to "Wild World" by Cat Stevens. Jonathon King, a British DJ accused the Pet Shop Boys of plagiarizing the song and went so far as to record his own cover version of "Wild World" as a single, using musical arrangement that was similar to "It's a Sin", in an attempt to demonstrate his claims. He released the single only to have it backfire on him. Not only did the single go absolutely nowhere, but the Pet Shop Boys sued King and won. As for the song, I liked it - one of my favorite songs by the Pet Shop Boys. 36: SOMETHING REAL (INSIDE ME/INSIDE YOU) – MR. MISTER (37) - They were definitely a has-been at this point. Their Welcome To The Real album generated two #1 hits, as well as a Top Ten, but their follow-up album, Go On, didn't fare nearly as well. This was the only single from that album, and it barely touched the Top 30. Too bad, as it was my favorite song from them. 35: DON’T MEAN NOTHING – RICHARD MARX (23) - The first of many hits for this man from the Windy City. It was a good one, but definitely not my favorite from him. 34: WHO’S THAT GIRL - MADONNA (20) - This song had recently put Madonna as the woman with the most solo #1 hits of the rock era, with six so far, and she wasn't done yet, thus putting her far out in front of Diana Ross, who was done hitting #1 at this point. As far as I know, Madonna might still be out in front, but I'm not sure, as I stopped believing in the Hot 100 soon after 1991. Anyway, this song was mediocre at best. One of my least favorite of her hits and possibly my least favorite of her #1s. 33: VICTIM OF LOVE – BRYAN ADAMS (35) - The third and final single from Into The Fire, and the last time Adams would hit the charts until four years later, when he came back bigger than ever. I felt this song was way underrated - it should have been a Top Ten like “Heat Of The Night”. 32: MONY MONY – BILLY IDOL (debut) - One of two Tommy James & The Shondells covers that rode up the chart side by side. They debuted the same week, hit the Top Ten the same week, and came so close to dropping off the same week as well. They were #1 back-to-back as well (and wound up back-to-back on the year-ender as well - that great or what)? This was my favorite of the two covers - especially the live version. 31: IN MY DREAMS – REO SPEEDWAGON (39) - About half of REO's Top 40 hits were ballads, and this is one of them, with a slightly different style than the others, as it wasn't really a power ballad - the only electric guitar work was in the instrumental break. Anyway, this was one of my favorites from them! Glad they played this song intact (as I seem to remember this one was edited more often than not). OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOLIDAY - THE OTHER ONES - Possibly the first song to use the word "holla", almost fifteen years before that word became more widely used in songs. This was the second song with the title "Holiday" to chart in 1987, as Kool & The Gang had a song by that title that charted earlier in the summer, peaking at #66 in late July and heading down the chart when this song debuted. It was a pretty good one - their only Top 40 hit. 30: BREAKOUT – SWING OUT SISTER (debut) - They seemed destined to be a two-hit wonder, until "Am I The Same Girl" charted in 1992. Anyway, I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit, the underrated "Twilight World". 29: BAD – MICHAEL JACKSON (40) - His first single from Bad, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", was still on its way up the chart when the title track was released as a single (needless to say, that affected its performance on the chart). This song would perform a hat trick of #1 songs by Jackson that only contained three letters (there were only two others). He definitely wasn't like Bryan Adams, who would become known for his long song titles a few years later. As for this song, it was a good one, but, like said first Bad release, it sure had a short chart run! 28: I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW - TIFFANY (debut) - This, of course, was the other Tommy James song that I mentioned back at #24. I wasn't a big fan of this remake. This was likely my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. Her follow-up single, "Could've Been", which started to get early action on B96 in mid-November, was far better, IMO. 27: NEVER LET ME DOWN – DAVID BOWIE (28) - Of course, we know all too well that this is one of his two songs that I like best. The other one was "Day-In, Day-Out" and this would be a case where my mood at the time depends on which of those I prefer - for the most part, it's a toss-up between the two. 26: YOU ARE THE GIRL – THE CARS (31) - They were definitely big back in the late '70s (their two 1978 hits seem to get more recurrent airplay than any of their others) and first half of the 80s (Heartbeat City was indeed a smash album, with five Top 40 hits), but they began losing their momentum soon after. This was their last Top 40 hit. I wasn't a huge fan of it, however - I preferred most of their other Top 40 hits. 25: FAKE – ALEXANDER O’NEAL (30) - A Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis production, it was O'Neal's only solo Top 40 hit (and his most successful song on the Soul charts, hitting #1 back in July). This song was OK, but nothing exceptional IMO, since it sounds so much like most of the other late-80s R&B dance songs. 24: LITTLE LIES – FLEETWOOD MAC (29) - At this point, all three of Fleetwood Mac's lead singers each had a Top 40 single from Tango In The Night featuring them on lead vocals. It was Christine McVie's turn with this song (although Stevie and Lindsey were clearly heard singing in the chorus). For some reason, I never liked this song - it was my least favorite song from "Tango In The Night". My favorite was the one that preceded it, "Seven Wonders", which was a Top 20 hit in August. 23: CAUSING A COMMOTION - MADONNA (33) - This song almost hit #1, but instead, was stuck at #2 for three weeks, while the two Tommy James remakes leapfrogged over her. While I'm glad that the two songs made chart history, I preferred this song by a fair margin (and an even wider margin over her other song on the chart this week). 22: LET ME BE THE ONE - EXPOSE (25) - They definitely had a bang-up year on the charts, with three Top Ten singles (and a fourth at the very end that would become their first #1 early the following year). 21: ONLY IN MY DREAMS – DEBBIE GIBSON (13) - The breakthrough hit for one of the biggest teen music stars from this era. It was a good song - my second favorite song from Out Of The Blue behind the #1 "Foolish Beat" (though I did rather like the title track as well). LDD: COMING AROUND AGAIN - CARLY SIMON - I heard this song quite a lot in early 1987 (mainly because of its airplay on AC stations - none of the Top 40 stations in my area played this one very often). It was a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: BRILLIANT DISGUISE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Of Springsteen's two 1987 hits, this one, which would debut on the entire Hot 100 way up at #40 the following week, was definitely my favorite. His other one, from his live greatest hits album, was a mediocre cover of a mediocre song, IMO. 20: WHO FOUND WHO - JELLYBEAN (16) - The second of two hits with which John "Jellybean" Benitez had charted. This was my favorite of the two by a fair margin (as I wasn't a big fan of "Sidewalk Talk"). 19: JUMP START – NATALIE COLE (21) - This was her first Top 40 hit in seven years, as she battled cocaine and heroin addiction for the better part of the decade. Her comeback hit, which would peak at #13, was only the beginning, as she'd have several big hits over the next few years. This was a good song, but I preferred her ballads, with which she was generally most successful on the pop charts. 18: I NEED LOVE – LL COOL J (14) - This was possibly the first rap ballad ever to make the chart - certainly the first one that I ever heard. I thought it was a good one. 17: CASANOVA - LEVERT (22) - Like Alexander O'Neal, they were chiefly a soul act, and had a single Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but preferred Gerald Levert's solo hit "I'd Do Anything", which charted in 1994. 16: ONE HEARTBEAT – SMOKEY ROBINSON (17) - This was his second Top Ten during 1987. Not bad for a man who had been charting since the early-60s. I liked both songs about the same. 15: CAN’T WE TRY – DAN HILL WITH VONDA SHEPARD (7) - This song, which relieved Hill of his one-hit wonder status, a title he held for nearly a decade. This song didn't get quite as high as his first hit, "Sometimes When We Touch", but it did hit the Top Ten, which I didn't think it would at first, given its initial slow start at the beginning of its chart run. Glad that it made it, as it was a great song! 14: PAPER IN FIRE – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (19) - The first of four singles released from The Lonesome Jubilee (though I could have sworn that "The Real Life" had been released as the second single, but they went with "Cherry Bomb" instead). In any case, I liked this song, but my favorite single from the album was "Check It Out", which charted in the early spring of 1988. 13: WHO WILL YOU RUN TO - HEART (18) - Even though they had gone the pop way, they revisited their classic rock side with this song, and it apparently worked, as the song went Top Ten. I liked it - one of my favorite of their upbeat songs. 12: WIPEOUT – THE FAT BOYS AND THE BEACH BOYS (12) - This frankly unnecessary remake was clearly fueled by sales more than airplay, as it had peaked at #20 on the R&R chart the previous week, but practically hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100. I prefer the original of this song by the Surfaris, and wasn't a fan of this one at all - slowing down the tempo just to add lyrics pretty much defeats the whole purpose. 11: DOING IT ALL FOR MY BABY – HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (6) - I remember hoping that this would be his next release as "I Know What I Like" was heading down the chart, and then playing this song all the time - so much that I got tired of it and got to hoping that Huey decided to release "Forest For The Trees". Well, what I forgot was that Huey always released the doo wop type song that appeared on each of his albums. This was a good song, but definitely not one of my favorites from him. 10: U GOT THE LOOK - PRINCE f/SHEENA EASTON (15) - Even though Sheena didn't have official label credit, she certainly deserved it, as she was clearly heard singing back-up. I generally didn't like this type of upbeat R&B music, but there was just something about this song that I really liked. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH - BELINDA CARLISLE - This was the beginning of the second wave of popularity for this former lead singer of the Go-Go's, and her best, as she had three Top Ten songs from her Heaven On Earth album. This was the biggest one, hitting #1 in early December. It's a great song; my second favorite from this album, behind "I Get Weak". 9: TOUCH OF GREY – THE GRATEFUL DEAD (10) - This was their only Top 40 hit, but they were more of a album rock and concert band (although I don’t think that they usually performed this one at their shows). My brother was a Deadhead, so I've heard many songs from them, but this one remains my favorite. 8: LA BAMBA – LOS LOBOS (3) - This was their first of at least three remakes of old Ritchie Valens songs (they did a version of "Donna", but I don't think it was ever released as a single). Anyway, this song was so/so, but way overplayed. I preferred their version of "Come On Let's Go" which we'll hopefully hear later on this year on the series. 7: CARRIE - EUROPE (11) - They didn't have a very long chart career, but 1987 was definitely their heyday, with three Top 40 hits (and a fourth the following year), and this one was their biggest. It was also my favorite song by them - a great power ballad, which would hit #1 on R&R a few weeks later while it peaked at #3 on BB - the only diversity between #1 songs during 1987. LDD: LUKA – SUZANNE VEGA - Wow, what a intense dedication! Since this song is about child abuse, you can guess the subject matter. It focused on child abuse, as well as the repercussions and scars, which can last a lifetime. 6: WHEN SMOKEY SINGS - ABC (5) - I found it interesting that, every time a song about a music artist was on the countdown, a song by the same artist was on the countdown as well. In fact, the following week, both songs would be in the Top Ten at the same time - a chart first. As for the song, it was pretty good - I am fairly sure that the song's resemblance to "Tears Of A Clown" was intentional, since the bass line was exactly the same (after all, it was a tribute to the artist of that song). 5: LOST IN EMOTION – LISA LISA AND CULT JAM (9) - One of two number one songs from them, both in 1987. This was my favorite of the two, but it didn't hold a candle to "All Cried Out", which remains one of my favorite songs of all-time. 4: I HEARD A RUMOUR - BANANARAMA (8) - One of two hits from the movie Disorderlies on this week's chart (the other one was that lame duck back at #12). Of course, we all know that, of their three Top 40 hits, this one is my favorite (and we heard my least favorite, their cover of "Venus" on last week's 1986 show, but we won't be given a hat trick, as next week's show is from 1985, a year after their debut hit "Cruel Summer". 3: I JUST CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - I mentioned earlier that the rush-release of the title track of Michael Jackson's Bad album affected this song's chart performance (after all, it was falling out of the top spot after a single week up there, in its eighth week on the chart). I believe that the release of the album was instrumental in that as well, as it was debuting at #1 on this week's album chart, meaning that the fans were buying that instead of the single. Well, whatever the case, I liked this song, though it was sure way overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER - RICHARD MARX - This song reminds me a little of Kenny Loggins’ "other" Footloose song ("I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man"). The song ended up peaking at #3, just like his first hit “Don’t Mean Nothing”. It was my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from his first album, which was self-titled. 2: HERE I GO AGAIN - WHITESNAKE (4) - Like Europe, they were another hard rock group that only charted four times. And 1987 was definitely their year, as their two biggest hits charted and peaked within the year. I believe they played the single version this week, which I slightly preferred over the album version (probably because it was the version that I generally heard on the radio). 1: DIDN’T WE ALMOST HAVE IT ALL – WHITNEY HOUSTON (2) - aka "All At Once Pt 2". Only difference is, this song was actually released as a single and flew straight up to the top. It's a good song, but far from being her best. This song put her into a tie (with whom, I don't remember) as the woman with the most #1 hits, and was just one away from Madonna. Of course, she ended up beating that in 1988 with "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". I assume that she and Madonna battled it out, along with Mariah Carey, for the next few years.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 25, 2023 22:17:20 GMT -5
Keith Moon,The Who's unpredictable drummer, died on 9/7/78-Shortly after he passed,the "Who Are You" album was released-There was a picture of Keith sitting in a chair with a sign that read "Not To Be Taken Away"-Talk about irony!
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Post by mga707 on Sept 25, 2023 23:00:26 GMT -5
Keith Moon,The Who's unpredictable drummer, died on 9/7/78-Shortly after he passed,the "Who Are You" album was released-There was a picture of Keith sitting in a chair with a sign that read "Not To Be Taken Away"-Talk about irony! Moon died (on 9/7, as you stated) three weeks AFTER the "Who Are You" album was released on August 21. Bought the album the day of its release, so I remembered that the album was out before his death.
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Post by doofus67 on Sept 25, 2023 23:33:26 GMT -5
Moon died three weeks BEFORE the "Who Are You" album was released, on August 21. Bought the album the day of its release, so I remembered that the album was out before his death. That made no sense.
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Post by mga707 on Sept 26, 2023 8:57:13 GMT -5
Moon died three weeks BEFORE the "Who Are You" album was released, on August 21. Bought the album the day of its release, so I remembered that the album was out before his death. That made no sense. You're right--embarrassing typo. Will edit. Moon died three weeks after the album's release, not before.
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Post by Hervard on Oct 1, 2023 15:19:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 30, 2023
This week's presentation - October 1, 1977
Droppers: STAR WARS (MAIN TITLE) - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (36) - Meco's discofied version of the Star Wars theme indeed took its toll on this song, as it took a hard fall the previous weeks and continued to free-fall down the Hot 100. I definitely preferred this version. HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (30) - The first two hits from Leo's Endless Flight album hit #1 and it looked like this one could do the same but, as a matter of fact, it didn't even hit the Top Ten. That's too bad, as it was my favorite song from the album.
40: DUSIC - BRICK (debut) - This would probably qualify as "roof-raising R&B", but I actually kind of liked this one, such is the case with their song from earlier in the year, "Dazz". 39: SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE - SANFORD/TOWNSEND BAND (25) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile circa 1990 as a recurrent). Still sounds great today. 38: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (20) - This was an interesting disco rendition of the Jackie Wilson classic. It is also my favorite version, and possibly my favorite of Rita Coolidge's six Top 40 hits (though I don't remember how her early 1980 hit "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" goes). EXTRA: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY BAND (#1 SONG ONE YEAR AGO) - Another disco interpretation of an older song, in this case, a classical music piece by Ludwig Von Beethoven. A pretty good song, IMO. 37: I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (40) - His only Top 40 hit by himself (the others were listed as Alan Parsons Project). I liked this song, but generally preferred the Eric Woolfson era. 36: SHE DID IT - ERIC CARMEN (39) - I'm surprised that this wasn't at least a Top 20 hit, because I definitely remember hearing this regularly in 1977. It's pretty good, but I preferred his 1976 hits. 35: HELP IS ON IT'S WAY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (37) - This song was generally edited by cutting out the second verse and chorus, but they played the entire song this week. However, there were indeed other songs that were chopped down in this week's countdown, going to show that a four-hour show was called for a few years before it finally became a reality - almost exactly a year after this week's show. Anyway, I liked this song, though I preferred a few others from them. 34: DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - CRYSTAL GAYLE (38) - Her first Top 40 hit,- it even came close to the top, but I don't think I need to tell you the song that locked it out of #1. Anyway, I liked all of Crystal Gayle's Top 40 hits (and a few that hit only the Country and AC charts). 33: ANOTHER STAR - STEVIE WONDER (35) - Looks like many people bought the Songs In The Key Of Life album over the summer, as the first two singles from it went all the way to #1, yet the next two songs didn't even touch the Top 30. This was a good song, though I preferred many others from him, including a few from the same album, my favorite of them being the next release, "As". 32: I BELIEVE YOU - DOROTHY MOORE (34) - This was her second hit - sounded a little like "Misty Blue", only I liked this one a lot better. 31: CAT SCRATCH FEVER - TED NUGENT (31) - A classic rock staple here! I was never a huge fan of the song, however. Not sure - it was just a little loud for me, I guess. 30: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL (32) - They only had one Top Ten hit ("You Are The Woman" from the year before), but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, and it is one of my favorite songs by Firefall. 29: SURFIN' USA - LEIF GARRETT (33) - The first of three chart hits for this then-young man. You can still catch him on TruTV, on re-runs of their show The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest... (though that show is not on as often as it used to be, now that Impractical Jokers has pretty much taken over that channel). I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure of mine, as I rather like this song - but I can definitely see why many people hated this one. 28: DAYTIME FRIENDS - KENNY ROGERS (29) - He had his first solo hit earlier that year, and it was one of his biggest hits, peaking at #5. This song, which was this week's #1 Country hit, didn't do quite as well here on the Hot 100 (as this is where it peaked), but the best was yet to come for him. It was a pretty good song, but far from being his best IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BLUE BAYOU - LINDA RONSTADT - This Roy Orbison cover would chart concurrently with another song by Ronstadt, "It's So Easy" (another cover, originally by the Crickets) during late 1977, but both songs hit the Top Five, so they didn't steal thunder from each other. Of the two hits, this would be my favorite, though I did like "It's So Easy" as well. 27: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (11) - 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: IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME - BARRY WHITE (debut) - According to Casey, this was the highest debut of the year thus far. More often than not, AT40 only played about a minute of this song, including this week. I personally wasn't a big fan of this song, or much of anything from Barry White. 25: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - GEORGE BENSON (27) - I, along with many of us, am more familiar with Whitney Houston's version of this song and prefer that one, but this is a good version as well. 24: HEAVEN ON THE 7TH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS (26) - This was melodically a great song, but the lyrics were sort of questionable - the guy was stuck in an elevator with someone who wanted nothing to do with him - and he was happy nonetheless. I'd have felt very awkward and, like the girl in the elevator with me, I'd want them to have us out ASAP. But that's just me. As I said, the music itself was great. 23: JUNGLE LOVE - STEVE MILLER BAND (24) - The second of three Top 40 hits from Book Of Dreams. It was OK, but my least favorite of his three Top 40 hits from Book Of Dreams. 22: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I'M YOURS - PETER FRAMPTON (23) - His current album, I'm In You, didn't quite live up to the success of Frampton Comes Alive (one of the most popular live albums of all time), but it did spawn two Top 20 hits. The title track, of course, was my favorite, but this Stevie Wonder cover was not bad either. 21: THE KING IS GONE - RONNIE McDOWELL (28) - A very touching tribute to Elvis Presley, whom we had sadly lost a little over a month before. 20: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (22) - His very first pop hit and his only one to chart in the 70s. He would have more pop success in the 80s but, of course, the format he excelled at the most was Country. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorites from Milsap. 19: FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS (2) - This song holds the record for the biggest drop from the runner-up spot. The song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Gimme Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well. 18: WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY (18) - This song originally peaked at #31, but after The King's unexpected death in August, the song resurged and reached a new peak of #18. This was a pretty good song, but I preferred his other 1977 hit, his rendition of the Frank Sinatra hit "My Way". 17: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (17) - The second of two Beach Boys covers in this week's chart. I always found it kind of a surprise that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. I liked both versions and am unsure which version I prefer. 16: BRICK HOUSE - COMMODORES (19) - I swear that I hear this song at every single dance party or wedding reception that I go to! Plus, this is overplayed on oldies stations - I definitely prefer their other 1977 hit "Easy" by far. EXTRA: BABY DON'T GET HOOKED ON ME - MAC DAVIS (#1 SONG FIVE YEARS AGO) - This song was played as the second Optional Extra, right after #15. In the original version of the show, it was a regular extra, which I don't get. When the show grew to four hours in 1978, this kind of extra was an ideal time filler, but I felt they were unnecessary in the three-hour version of the show. If they had just forgone them completely, they wouldn't have had to edit as many songs. That, however, is just my opinion and nothing more. As for the song, it's not bad, but nothing special. 15: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE (21) - THE ULTIMATE GUILTY PLEASURE HERE!! This song was on its way to becoming the longest running #1 song of the 1970s! A great song indeed! 14: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (16) - I liked many of her disco hits, but this sure wasn't one of them - way too repetitive. Basically the same three sentences sung over and over and over again. 13: SWAYING TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (14) - 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"). 12: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (13) - This song was his biggest hit ever; just barely missed the Top Ten, which I thought was a shame, as it was my favorite song from him. A small consolation - it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #8. 11: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEAT WAVE (15) - aka Part 1 of this song (part 2 would chart the following summmer). Both songs bookended about the only Heatwave song that I like, "Always And Forever". 10: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (6) - Casey mentioned that this song was spending its fourteenth week in the Top Ten and I imagine that many people thought that would be it, but it actually managed to hang around at #10 for two more weeks, making it more and more clear that it would wind up as the year's top song. and it was definitely worthy of that honor - it was my favorite song from Gibb! Too bad they cut the second verse. 9: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (10) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!) 8: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (9) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and "Da Doo Ron Ron" are probably my two favorites from him. 7: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (7) - This song had a rather slow climb up the charts; debuted in early July and peaked at #7 the last week of September. It was a great one; one of my favorites from them. 6: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (12) - 1977 was definitely the year for movie songs! This one, from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, was one of many songs held out of #1 by Debby Boone's eternal #1 hit (it did sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart). It is one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon, as well as one of my faves on this week's chart. 5: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - BROTHERS JOHNSON (5) - This one wasn't quite my cup of tea, although it wasn't exactly "roof-raising R&B" music - it was actually somewhat mellow. I guess it just didn't do anything for me. 4: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS (1) - Casey mentioned that this was the song that spent the most weeks at #1 so far this year, with a total of five. Little did anyone know that another song in the countdown that would double that by year's end. Anyway, this was definitely one of the biggest hits of the year, and deservedly so, as it was a great one! 3: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (3) - I used to like this song, but overplay sort of tarnished it for me. Possibly my least favorite release from "Rumors" (my favorite would be "You Make Lovin' Fun", which would debut on the chart four weeks later). OPTIONAL EXTRA: BABY COME BACK - PLAYER - This was pretty much the only song for the first few months of 1978 not connected with the Gibb family or the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that managed to hit #1. The song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. 2: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (4) - Upon finding out that the Emotions had relinquished the number one spot, many people listening to the countdown (unless they heard Casey more or less spilling the beans at the very beginning of the show) probably assumed that this popular disco band kept their "number one or miss the Top Ten" streak alive, but another song leapfrogged over it. I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best. 1: THEME FROM "STAR WARS" - MECO (8) - It was clear that this song was headed to #1, but who knew that it would take such a monster leap into the top spot? This was an interesting disco version of the Star Wars theme, though I preferred the one by the London Symphony Orchestra, which hit the Top Ten about few weeks before.
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Post by Hervard on Oct 1, 2023 15:19:42 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 30, 2023
This week's presentation - September 29, 1984
ALL OF YOU - JULIO IGLESIAS & DIANA ROSS (38) - The second hit from Julio's 1100 Bel Air Place album. I think it's a great song, though I know a few folks who consider it a "No. Just no" song (I guess I can see why, though). You might call this a guilty pleasure of mine! ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE - SPANDAU BALLET (34) - IF EVER YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN - PEABO BRYSON (30) - One of my favorite R&B singers. I have several of his albums, though I'm not sure I have the one containing this song, which is surprising, considering it's one of my favorites from him of all time. WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE (23) - No big loss here. I was never a fan of this song at all.
LW#1: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE 40: SHINE SHINE - BARRY GIBB (debut) - Of course, he was a part of the huge 70s supergroup the Bee Gees, had two duets with Barbra Streisand in 1980, and finally hit the charts with his first solo hit. Alas, it was also his last and, like the solo hit from brother Robin Gibb earlier in the year, couldn't push past #37. I thought it was a pretty good song, but at the same time, I can see why it didn't do any better. 39: (WHAT) IN THE NAME OF LOVE - NAKED EYES (debut) - They did quite well in 1983, with two Top 20 hits, but after that, they seemed to fizzle out. This was their last Top 40 hit and this was all the further it got. Too bad, as it was a great song, IMO. 38: I FEEL FOR YOU - CHAKA KHAN (debut) - I was never crazy about this song. I preferred her follow-up, "Through The Fire", which was a Top 20 AC hit (and I'm fairly sure that it was once an Optional Extra, since it spent 19 weeks on the Hot 100 despite never having even cracked the Top 40). 37: STRUT - SHEENA EASTON (40) - This is a song that I hated back in the day. Now, I think it's pretty good, though I generally prefer her earlier hits (save for "Morning Train"). 36: ROCK ME TONIGHT - BILLY SQUIER (24) - Meh, this one wasn't exactly my favorite from Squier. I preferred songs like "In The Dark" and "Everybody Wants You". 35: DESERT MOON - DENNIS DE YOUNG (39) - Styx may not have broken up, but they were noticeably absent from the chart for over six years. Meanwhile, two members of the band would hit with solo hits in 1984 - Dennis was here with his first solo hit (a great song, might I add), and Tommy Shaw would chart several weeks later with "Girls With Guns". 34: BLUE JEAN - DAVID BOWIE (debut) - Considering I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, this song was actually pretty good. 33: FLESH FOR FANTASY - BILLY IDOL (37) - One of Idol's more obscure hits. I thought it was pretty good, but, as we all know, my favorite song from him is "Sweet Sixteen", from the summer of 1987. 32: WHO WEARS THESE SHOES - ELTON JOHN (36) - The second single from Breaking Hearts, though not quite as successful as the first one, "Sad Songs (Say So Much)". I thought it was a good song (and at least it did manage one week in the Top Ten on the R&R chart). 31: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART (20) - Something you might need to do if you lived at the North Pole in the summer. As for the song, it's good, but I prefer several others from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PURPLE RAIN - PRINCE - This song was gearing up to debut on the Hot 100 in a major way, coming in all the way up at #28 the following week. This, of course, was the title track to the blockbuster movie, whose soundtrack was just as successful. This song, oddly enough, did not hit #1 on the Hot 100 (though it did sneak in two weeks at the top spot of the R&R chart). That's probably because so many people had the Purple Rain soundtrack and, since the single version was the same as on the album, there was no need to buy it - although some people did buy the 45 anyway, for the novelty of the purple vinyl. 30: SWEPT AWAY - DIANA ROSS (35) - After 1982, she sort of burned out, as she could only manage a few mid-chart hits - until she hit the Top Ten the following year with her tribute to Marvin Gaye, which turned out to be her last Top 40 hit. As for this song, it was a pretty good song, but I prefer several others by her, mainly her slower ones. 29: BOP 'TIL YOU DROP - RICK SPRINGFIELD (33) - The third of three Top 40 hits from the movie in which Rick starred, Hard To Hold. It was a good song, but I preferred the other two singles. 28: LIGHTS OUT - PETER WOLF (18) - I liked this song, but preferred a few songs from his J. Geils Band, especially "Centerfold". This song was originally supposed to be entitled "Dancing In The Dark", but Wolf changed it to "Lights Out" so as not to confuse it with Springsteen's song. LDD; SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD - BARRY MANILOW - Wow, what a moving LDD! I wonder if the author ever got back in touch with her mother. As for the song, it was one of my favorite songs from Manilow. 27: SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK - ROD STEWART (31) - This song pretty much depicts the story of my life, especially back in my school days! The song itself is a good one. 26: ARE WE OURSELVES - FIXX (28) - This was their second biggest hit, behind the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another". It's a good song, but my two favorites from them are "Saved By Zero" and "Secret Separation". 25: GO INSANE - LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM (27) - Of course, he took turns with Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie singing lead on songs by his band Fleetwood Mac, but he did have a few solo songs. This one was pretty good, though I did prefer "Trouble" (but I still liked this better than his earworm "Holiday Road", although I don't find that song quite as annoying as I used to. 24: ON THE DARK SIDE - JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (32) - A song I remember from both of its chart runs (as, when it was credited to Eddie & The Cruisers the year before, B96 played it in medium rotation). It was a good one, though I preferred "Tough All Over", which charted in the spring of 1985. 23: THERE GOES MY BABY - DONNA SUMMER (26) - One of several songs by Summer that starts off with a slow tempo and then picks up a little ways into the song. This one was actually one of my favorites from her (though I remember disliking it during its chart run). 22: I'M SO EXCITED - THE POINTER SISTERS (29) - Of course, this song was originally released in 1982 and peaked at #30. The decision to re-release it proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. Anyway, despite the slight teenybopper air to this song, I actually thought this song was pretty good. 21: WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT - TWISTED SISTER (21) - This song reminded me a little of "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot. I liked this one a lot. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS - Of course, they played this one in memory of Ric Ocasek, who passed away earlier this month. This was the first of five Top 40 hits from their current album Heartbeat City. This song was good, but not really one of my favorites from them. 20: THE LUCKY ONE - LAURA BRANIGAN (25) - The follow-up to one of her biggest hits, "Self-Control". Like "There Goes My Baby", this song starts off as a ballad and then becomes upbeat. I like this song, but slightly preferred the Donna Summer song. 19: GHOSTBUSTERS - RAY PARKER, JR (13) - This was the theme to one of the most successful movies of 1984. The scandal involving a lawsuit from Huey Lewis & The News is pretty much common knowledge. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many other songs from him, both as a solo artist and with his band Raydio. 18: STUCK ON YOU - LIONEL RICHIE (12) - His multi-format smash, which had peaked at #3 a month before, was on its way out, but he would replace himself on the chart the following week with the fifth and final smash from his multi-million selling Can't Slow Down album, "Penny Lover". I preferred that one, but this was a great one as well. 17: TORTURE - THE JACKSONS (19) - Their second song to chart in 1984. Though I definitely prefer this over their other song (which, fortuntely, dropped off a few weeks back), I preferred their early-70s songs. 16: DYNAMITE - JERMAINE JACKSON (15) - Wow, look at this! Right above the Jacksons is one of the members of the band! I may not have been much for the two Jacksons hits from 1984, but such is not the case with Jermaine's 2 songs from that year, as those are among my favorites from him. 15: CARIBBEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) - BILLY OCEAN (22) - He seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, as "Love Really Hurts Without You" was his only hit for over eight years. But Billy came back with a vengeance in 1984 and there was a lot more where that came from. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. 14: WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES - NIGHT RANGER (17) - They had a slew of great songs in the 80s. There is not a single Top 40 hit of theirs that I don't like - the only one that doesn't quite get "great song" status is their first Top 40 entry, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", from early 1983. 13: LUCKY STAR - MADONNA (16) - The third and final Top 40 single from her first album, as she was gearing up to release Like A Virgin, which would turn out to be even more successful. This song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from her. 12: HARD HABIT TO BREAK - CHICAGO (14) - The first of two songs from the Chicago 17 album that hit #1 on R&R, but not Billboard. This was my favorite song from the 17 album by a fairly large margin. 11: IF THIS IS IT - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (6) - Well, this definitely wasn't it, by any means, as he/they were one of the top acts of the entire decade. Anyone notice how this sounds somewhat like a doo-wop version of "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers? Perhaps that's why it's such a good song, as both songs are among my favorite from their respective artists. This was also by far my favorite song from the Sports album. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TEACHER TEACHER - 38 SPECIAL - This song, the theme song from the movie Teachers, wasn't bad, but was one of my least favorite songs by 38 Special. I think we all know what my three favorite songs by the band are, right? 10: COVER ME - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (11) - The second of an incredible seven Top Ten singles from Born In The USA. This one is possibly the one of those songs that gets the least amount of recurrent airplay, but is still a good one. 9: CRUEL SUMMER - BANANARAMA (10) - We heard their biggest hit ever, the #1 "Venus" on last week's show and this week, we heard their first hit - and we also heard "I Heard A Rumour" (my favorite from them, of course) on a recent 1987 show IIRC. Kind of funny how their three songs charted around the same time of year; each song peaked in September of their respective years. 8: THE GLAMOROUS LIFE - SHEILA E. (8) - The first Top 40 hit for this California native whose last name is Escoveto. It was so/so in my opinion, but not quite my cup of tea. I did like her next hit, "The Belle Of St. Mark" 7: THE WARRIOR - SCANDAL W/ PATTY SMYTH (7) - Though I know many songs from them, this was their only Top 40 hit. I preferred other songs from the band such as "Goodbye To You" and "Love's Got A Line On You", as well as a few of Smyths solo hits. 6: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER (4) - Wow, very shortly after her comeback, she snagged the biggest song of her career! This was also true on the R&R chart - even though this song peaked at #2 and "Typical Male" made it to #1, this song spent a month longer on the chart. I wasn't crazy about this song back in the day, but now, I think it's a great one. Like fine wine, it's one of those songs that gets better with age! 5: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU - STEVIE WONDER (9) - Casey correctly predicted this song hitting #1. The song was gearing up for a three-week run on top. My favorite version of this song was the one where he used a voice alternator as he repeated part of the first verse. Not sure if AT40 ever played that one, but I do remember hearing it on his AC version of his show in early 1995 when he played it as an extra or LDD. Either way, it was a good song and one that would put him in second place for solo artist with the most #1s (of course, Elvis Presley was comfortably in the lead). LDD: BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN - THE CARPENTERS - One of their less successful hits, as it only got as high as #67 in early 1972. The flipside of their #4 hit from the previous September, the song sounded like a typical hit from the brother/sister duo. It was pretty good. 4: SHE BOP - CYNDI LAUPER (3) - Cyndi, you naughty girl! But I did like this song - definitely my favorite upbeat song from She's So Unusual and my second favorite from the album, behind her hit that followed this one up in October. 3: DRIVE - THE CARS (5) - This song is kind of depressing for me due to personal problems I was going through around the time the song was charting, including being in seventh grade (aka "Hell On Earth"). Definitely my least favorite song from Heartbeat City. OPTIONAL EXTRA: OUT OF TOUCH - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - This would become their fifth #1 song of the 1980s - in fact, this song put them into first place as the artist with the most #1 songs during the 1980s, and as I recall, Michael Jackson had previously held the record (and, of course, since he had five more number one songs later in the decade, he would regain and secure that record). As for this song, it was a pretty good one, but definitely not their best. 2: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE (1) - Hey wow, they played a slightly different version of this song than they usually did, with Waite chanting "Missing You" at the beginning, and there's another guitar in the song with the one playing staccato. That's my favorite version of the song, as well as the one that the radio stations I listened to usually played. I wonder if one is the album version and the other is the single, as well as which is which? 1: LET'S GO CRAZY - PRINCE (2) - As usual, they played the version with the shortened intro. This is my third favorite song from the Purple Rain soundtrack, behind the title cut and "Take Me With U".
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Post by mrjukebox on Oct 1, 2023 17:30:13 GMT -5
Earlier today,I was listening to "America's Greatest Hits"-Host Scott Shannon featured the top five hits from this week in 1984-"Let's Go Crazy" was one of the featured songs & the album version was played-I prefer that version over the single edit.
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