Chart Critiques

[mga707]

Sept 25, 2023 23:33:26 GMT -5 doofus67 said:

Sept 25, 2023 23:00:26 GMT -5 mga707 said:

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.

[Hervard]

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.

[Hervard]

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".

[mrjukebox]

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.

[mrjukebox]

I can't believe that "Bless The Beasts & The Children" stalled at # 67-It's greater than its chart position.

[mga707]

Oct 1, 2023 15:19:42 GMT -5 Hervard said:

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.

'Beasts and Children' was actually the "B' side of "Superstar", which peaked at #2 for two weeks in October '71 (behind "Maggie May"). Per Whitburn, the flip side began to be listed on the 11/20 chart, as the single was dropping (16 down from 10 that week). It dropped as low as #89 two weeks later, and then revered, probably due to airplay for 'Beasts'. It's 'second peak' at #67 was on the week ending January 15, 1972. That was the same week that the duo's next single, "Hurting Each Other", debuted on the 'Hot 100'. "Superstar"/"Beasts" spent one more week on the 100 (at #74) before falling off.

[mga707]

Oct 1, 2023 18:35:36 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

I can't believe that "Bless The Beasts & The Children" stalled at # 67-It's greater than its chart position.

Special circumstances due to it being the 'B' side of "Superstar". Details directly above.

[mkarns]

Oct 1, 2023 15:19:42 GMT -5 Hervard said:

American Top 40: The 80s - September 30, 2023

This week's presentation - September 29, 1984


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.

This was replaced by Tina Turner's "Better Be Good To Me" this time. We of course lost Tina a few months ago, but this was moving toward the top 40 and so was a logical choice anyway.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - October 7, 2023

This week's presentation - October 13, 1979

Is it me, or has Premiere overdone 1979 lately? In the past two months alone, be it "A" or "B" shows, they have featured that year four times. I did not think for a minute that they would put that year on again so soon, so I didn't bother listening to the Saturday morning show to catch the first hour, so I missed that one. Oh well, at least I've heard this show before and there were many songs in Hour 1 that I did not care for. Here is a recycled commentary for the show:

Droppers:
GOOD TIMES - CHIC (38) - This one is kind of overplayed, but I do prefer it over "Le Freak". But my favorite of their 1979 hits, as you probably know all too well, was "I Want Your Love"
LEAD ME ON - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (29) - Of course, we all know that this is my favorite of her two Top 40 songs. "Right Back Where We Started From" isn't bad, but is way overplayed.
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).
DIFFERENT WORLDS - MAUREEN McGOVERN (18) - 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.
THE DEVIL WENT TO GEORGIA - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (17) - Wow, two songs falling out of the chart from inside the Top 20? I thought this was 1979, not 1982! Especially since both songs took long falls (#55 for Maureen and #62 for this one - what gives?) Well, anyway, this was definitely their signature hit. It's a good one, but my favorite song from them is "Still In Saigon".

LW#3: RISE – HERB ALPERT
LW#2: DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH – MICHAEL JACKSON
LW#1: SAD EYES – ROBERT JOHN
40: TUSK - FLEETWOOD MAC f/USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND (debut) – That would be how the song would be credited on today's charts, anyway. Ah yes, those were the good old days where you had to do more than cut a fart to have your name featured on a song's credits. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but quite repetitive. I preferred the next release from the album of the same name.
39: GOOD FRIEND - MARY MacGREGOR (40) - Many people consider her a one-hit wonder, but she did have a minor hit after that (and very minor, as this was all the higher it got). This one was much better than "Snoozefesting Between Two Lovers" (hmmm, that sounds kind of dirty, doesn't it?)
38: STILL – COMMODORES (debut) - This song would probably get a better review from me if not for the depressing subject matter (Larry said, when this song was an Optional Extra last year, that the song was about a couple going through a divorce). I do, however, like it when they play the album version of the song, but, as far as I know, they only did that when this song was featured as a Long Distance Dedication in early 1983. I wonder if their other song on the countdown,“Sail On” would have hit #1 on the Hot 100 had this song not been rush-released?
37: SO GOOD, SO RIGHT - BRENDA RUSSELL (debut) – This song definitely had that autumn sound to it, didn't it? Anyway, I had never heard of Brenda Russell (needless to say, we're not related) until “Piano In The Dark” was released about eight years later. Both songs are great – I liked them about the same. This is totally random, but I just notice that this is the second song in a row containing "you laughed at me" in the lyrics.
36: FOUND A CURE - ASHFORD & SIMPSON (debut) – Another act that I had never heard of until their second hit (and in both cases I mentioned, that second hit was their last, and turned out to be their biggest. However, I do know that I preferred “Solid”. This one was your typical late-70s R&B disco song.
35: DRIVER'S SEAT - SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS (15) Hmm, I wonder how they came up with a band name like that? Anyway, The song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional.
LDD: REUNITED - PEACHES & HERB – Hmm, it seems that “Goodbye Girl”, which the author originally intended as the LDD song, might have suited this a little better, but since he and his overseas gf were briefly reunited before he went off to college, this one was indeed appropriate as well. Anyway, this is my favorite Peaches & Herb song, as you probably already knew.
34: BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU (DOCTOR, DOCTOR) - ROBERT PALMER (14) - 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, songs by the Gap Band and Marvin Gaye).
ARCHIVES: FAME - DAVID BOWIE – Another singer I never really got into. You know the songs by him that I prefer, don't you?
OPTIONAL EXTRA: GIMME GIMME GIMME (A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT) – ABBA - Hmmm, this song was released as a single, but it never hit the Hot 100. It sounds vaguely familiar, so I have heard it before. It was a pretty good song, but, of course, it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" and "The Winner Takes It All".
33: GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY - BOB DYLAN (39) – Wow, hat trick here of singers that I'm not too much for (limited to songs in the original version of the show, that is). This song, however, wasn't too bad, but I always found Dylan's voice kind of annoying.
32: THIS NIGHT WON'T LAST FOREVER - MICHAEL JOHNSON (35) – Now HERE is a singer that I do like, and this is definitely my favorite song from him, as well as one of my favorites on the chart overall!
31: MIDNIGHT WIND - JOHN STEWART (36) - This song features Stevie Nicks on back-up vocals like his first hit "Gold", which I preferred over this one, but both songs are good.
30: ROLENE - MOON MARTIN (31) - Here's a song I remember from back in the day, since a lot of the stations that I listened to played it. It was OK, but nothing exceptional.
29: ARROW THROUGH ME - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (30) - Wow, this was kind of different for them - this one had a taste of smooth jazz to it. It was a great one - too bad it didn't get past #29 on the chart.
28: PLEASE DON'T GO - K.C. AND THE SUNSHINE BAND (37) – UGH, who could blame her for leaving, what with this whinefest. I'd run for the hills, daring not to look back!
27: I KNOW A HEARTACHE WHEN I SEE ONE - JENNIFER WARNES (33) – This song was apparently inspired by “Rhythm Of The Rain”. I also noted a little similarity between the choruses of this and “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys.
26: HOLD ON - IAN GOMM (34) – Pretty much your typical MOR song of the late-70s. It was pretty good, IMO.
25: DEPENDIN' ON YOU - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (26) - Definitely a case of Third Single Syndrome. After two Top 20 hits, this song petered out at #25. The song was pretty good, but nowhere near as good as "What A Fool Believes".
24: COME TO ME - FRANCE JOLI (32) - This song sounded like something that Donna Summer would record, especially the way that it starts off slow and then picks up the pace. It's a good song.
23: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS FALLING IN LOVE – LOBO (28) - He was more famous for his early 70s hits, but he did have a short-lived comeback with this song, which was a good one.
ARCHIVES: I'M SORRY - JOHN DENVER – Of course, this was a double-sided hit (with “Calypso” on the flipside), but they played this one since it was the hit first. Like many John Denver songs, I thought it was a great one!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DREAMING – BLONDIE – Larry mentioned that this was their third of eight Top 40 hits. The best was yet to come, of course, as they had the top song of the following year. As for my opinion of this song, it was a great one – my favorite of their three 1979 hits.
22: GOOD GIRLS DON'T - THE KNACK (27) - Well, they never quite equalled the success of "My Sharona" (then again, given how massive that song was, that would be very tough). Anyway, that song is coming up later. This song was definitely my favorite of the two.
21: GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME - GERRY RAFFERTY (23) – His last of five Top 40 hits. I preferred this over the overplayed "Baker Street", but it wasn't quite as good as "Right Down The Line".
20: LOVIN', TOUCHIN', SQUEEZIN' – JOURNEY (21) - 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. Anyway, the song is a good one - one of my favorites from them.
LDD: YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND – QUEEN – 1976 was definitely Queen's best year, IMO, as both of their Top 20 songs are among my favorites by them. I like both of them about the same.
19: THE BOSS - DIANA ROSS (21) – The second of two songs in the countdown written by Ashford & Simpson. I definitely preferred this one. Something about this song reminds me of Donna Summer's Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Heaven Knows". I liked both songs.
18: DIRTY WHITE BOY – FOREIGNER (24) - The first single from Head Games. This wasn't bad, but I preferred the title track, which would chart about a month and a half later.
17: SPOOKY - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (20) - Appropriate song, given that boo-time was coming up in a few weeks. 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.
16: BORN TO BE ALIVE - PATRICK HERNANDEZ (16) - 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.
15: HEARTACHE TONIGHT – EAGLES (debut) – Wow, with a debut like that, it was clear where this song was headed! I wasn't a huge fan of it, though - definitely my least favorite of their chart toppers.
14: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS (25) - Meh, this one was so/so, but it doesn't hold a candle to "She Believes In Me".
13: DON'T BRING ME DOWN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (11) - This was 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). It was OK, but quite overplayed. I preferred their other 1979 Top Ten, which is sadly ignored by radio anymore.
ARCHIVES: BAD BLOOD - NEIL SEDAKA f/ELTON JOHN – Another song where the featured artist didn't get any artist credit, although he was clearly heard on the song. Neil Sedaka had two #1 hits in 1975 and both were great ones!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: LADIES NIGHT – KOOL & THE GANG - Of course, my favorite Kool & The Gang song was about two months away from charting, but this one wasn't bad either.
12: CRUEL TO BE KIND - NICK LOWE (12) – Here's one I remember hearing quite often back in the day. It was a great song – too bad it was his only Top 40 hit, though.
11: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU - BONNIE POINTER (13) – Not sure why Casey said this song was “moving back up two notches”, since that would imply the song had started dropping earlier in its chart run, which it did not. Perhaps it's because it had lost its bullet and regained it this week. Whatever the case, the song wasn't bad, but I generally preferred her sisters' group (which she herself had been a member of, but left the group the year before).
10: AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (9) – One of their biggest hits, though it stopped just short of the top spot. This used to be one of my favorite songs, but somehow, over the years, my fascination for this song has dimmed significantly. It’s still passable, though.
9: LONESOME LOSER - LITTLE RIVER BAND (6) – You know, I recently noticed a slight similarity between this song and “Whatcha Gonna Do” by Pablo Cruise. Anyway, this is a song 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.
8: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS – DONNA SUMMER (10) – Interesting story about how Donna Summer's recording career got started. As for the song, I preferred her other big 1979 hits over this one, but I still liked it better than her duet with Barbra Streisand, which would hit the chart a few weeks later.
7: POP MUZIK – 'M' (8) - Yes, I know that a lot of you love this song, but I’m sorry, it just doesn’t do anything for me.
6: I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN - DIONNE WARWICK (7) – This was her comeback hit (since she'd been absent from the chart since late 1974), and it became one of her biggest hits, and deservedly so, as it was one of her best songs ever, IMO.
5: MY SHARONA - THE KNACK (4) – Definitely the most overplayed song of the year! I don't think I ever went for a day without hearing this song for at least six months! I'm still burned out on it to this day.
4: SAIL ON – COMMODORES (5) - This one had sort of a country feel to it. It apparently worked, as it hit the Top Five (and spent three weeks at #1 on R&R). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by the Commodores.
3: SAD EYES - ROBERT JOHN (1) - Well, as we all know, this song tied "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder for the longest climb to #1. Both songs hit the top in their 21st week. The record would stand for about two and a half years. Anyway, this is definitely my favorite of the two songs.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BETTER LOVE NEXT TIME - DR. HOOK - Great, great song! They definitely saved the best for last!
2: RISE - HERB ALPERT (3) – Instrumental songs were becoming fewer and further between at this point, but there were still a few of them charting – and this one went all the way to the top. I'm glad it did, because it was a great one!
1: DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH - MICHAEL JACKSON (2) - His first of four Top Ten hits from Off The Wall. Alas, I'm not a big fan of this one at all – definitely my least favorite single from the album, as well as one of my least favorites from him overall. At least his next song, “Rock With You”, my second favorite from the album, also hit #1 (and spent much longer up there to boot!).

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - October 7, 2023

This week's presentation - October 11, 1986

Droppers:
SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (36) - Well, I never saw the movie, but I definitely remember the song. It was a great one, like most of McDonald's solo hits.
THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (31) - 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.
MONEY’S TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) – SIMPLY RED (28) - 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.
HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (27) - Meh, no big loss here. 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).
VENUS – BANANARAMA (25) - No big loss here either, as this is another song that I never cared for. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour".
BABY LOVE – REGINA (24) - 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.

40: JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH – ARETHA FRANKLIN (debut) - This Rolling Stones cover, on which band member Keith Richard, plays guitar, sounds somewhat like it was recorded live, since it ends in the style used in concerts - when I first heard it, I fully expected to hear applause at the end, but it was indeed recorded in studio.
39: THE NEXT TIME I FALL – PETER CETERA WITH AMY GRANT (debut) - This song would become the second #1 song in a row for Cetera, so he definitely had a head start on his former band Chicago, who hadn't even yet hit the Top 40 since his departure from the band (they had peaked at #48 with their revamped version of "25 Or 6 To 4" a few weeks prior). I liked this song, but preferred his first #1 hit, as well as many others from Amy Grant, who would become a regular on the Top 40 charts five years later.
38: EMOTION IN MOTION – RIC OCASEK (debut) - Well, this may be "moodier" than anything he did with the Cars, but not quite as depressing as "Drive" (then again, he didn't even sing lead on that one, so perhaps that one wouldn't count). As for the song, it was a good one.
37: I AM BY YOUR SIDE – COREY HART (debut) - One of several Canadian acts on this week's chart. This was the final of Hart's four Top Twenty hits, and this one just barely made it, peaking at #20, showing that he'd pretty much already had his day in the sun. I liked this song, but it wasn't quite my favorite from him.
36: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (26) - 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.
35: PARANOIMIA – THE ART OF NOISE WITH MAX HEADROOM (34) - One of the oddest songs to make the Top 40 - surprised it wasn't classified as a novelty song. I liked it, but probably would have gotten tired of it had it been a bigger hit.
34: IN YOUR EYES – PETER GABRIEL (35) - Meh, not generally a big fan of him, especially the "So" album, since the first two singles from it are way overplayed. Given that, I'm surprised that this song came nowhere near the Top Ten.
33: I’LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO (37) - This song just barely missed hitting the Top Ten, peaking at #11. Too bad, as it's one of Toto's all-time best hits, IMO (at least it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #8).
32: TRUE BLUE - MADONNA (40) - This was the title track from an album that spawned four Top Five hits (not counting "Live To Tell", which had pretty much run its course on the chart by the time True Blue was released). This was my favorite song from the album.
31: THE RAIN – ORAN “JUICE” JONES (debut) - This was his only Top 40 hit, but it was a great one - especially at the end, when he's giving his now ex-gf the what-for after he found out she went and cheated on him - too bad Casey faded out the song before it got to that point.
30: WORD UP - CAMEO (39) - Western whistling in a dance hit? Well, apparently it worked, as it was a big hit. I wasn't a big fan of it, however.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE WAY IT IS - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE - They had a handful of chart hits and this was their biggest. It's a great song - still sounds just as fresh today as it did back in 1986!
29: YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME – BON JOVI (debut) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first #1 song (oddly enough, it only got as high as #7 on the R&R chart - 1982, anyone?)
LDD: HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY - CHICAGO - As we know all too well, it one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio. It was appropriate for the dedication, though.
28: POINT OF NO RETURN – NU SHOOZ (30) - 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 by a wide margin.
27: AMANDA - BOSTON (38) - Definitely one of the biggest comebacks of the 80s - they had their first #1 hit, a Top Ten, and a Top 20 hit from Third Stage. Their music style was still the same, but didn't sound too out of place for the 80s at all.
26: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (LOVE THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (18) - 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 was never released as a single.
25: GIRL CAN’T HELP IT - JOURNEY (32) - At the time, this was my favorite release from “Raised On Radio” (and beyond, as it was still my favorite after the last song was released in the spring of 1987). Since then, my tastes have changed and “I’ll Be Alright Without You” is my favorite. I still like this one, though - I especially like the end, when it becomes a completely different song. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t entitle it “Girl Can’t Help It/Fire In His Eyes”.
24: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – THE MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (17) - 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.
23: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT – EDDIE MONEY (33) - I like many of the Money Man's songs, but this definitely isn't one of them. Possibly my least favorite song from him.
22: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (22) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. One of many songs in this week's countdown that takes me back to my freshman year in high school! Too bad it only got as high as #22.
21: EARTH ANGEL (FROM “THE KARATE KID PART II”) – NEW EDITION (23) - Hey, it's the Kakariko Village song! But seriously, this was 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, Peter Cetera's "Glory Of Love", it did get as high as #21 (I am, however, surprised it didn't make an appearance on the R&R chart). Regardless, it was a good song, and one of my favorite New Edition hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT - WANG CHUNG - If you have your mind in the gutter, you just might come up with a few misheard lyrics for this song. This one was overplayed, but it's one of those "fine wine" type songs - gets better with age.
20: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (10) - 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.
19: HUMAN – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (29) - Their second of two #1 hits. Of course, my favorite was their first one, "Don't You Want Me", from four years before.
18: SWEET LOVE – ANITA BAKER (21) - 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.
17: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (11) - 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.
16: WALK THIS WAY – RUN-D.M.C. (8) - 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, although back when this was on the charts, I was not a fan of it at all. In retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith.
15: A MATTER OF TRUST – BILLY JOEL (20) - This song had been out for quite awhile, so I was thinking it 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".
14: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (15) - Their last of nine Top 40 hits before Annie Lennox embarked on a solo career (as well as Dave Stewart, though he only had one Top 40 hit). I wasn't a big fan of this song, however - definitely one of my least favorites from them.
13: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON – ROBERT PALMER (19) - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Top Ten singles from Riptide were played out (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.
12: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES – LOVERBOY (16) - There were several chart hits from Top Gun and this is one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was (since I only saw it once), but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night".
LDD: THE LETTER – THE BOX TOPS - The first and biggest hit from this band formed in Memphis in 1967. It wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. I remember the parody, "Vanna Pick Me A Letter" by Dr. Dave that was played on U93 (WNDU, South Bend) quite a lot back in early 1987, especially on their "Top Ten At Ten" countdown.
11: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (13) - 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: C'EST LA VIE - ROBBIE NEVIL - This was Nevil's first Top 40 hit. It was a good one, though I preferred his two follow-ups (this one was a little overplayed).
10: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (5) - This was Hall's first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one.
9: TRUE COLORS – CYNDI LAUPER (14) - The lead-off single from the unusual one's 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.
8: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON & GLORIA LORING (2) - loved the country cover version of this by Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton that was climbing the country chart about this time in 1986 (and was apparently instrumental in the release of this song, recorded for the soap opera Days Of Our Lives the year before), 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.
7: HEARTBEAT – DON JOHNSON (12) - 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", in late 1988). This was a great song - another song that I remember hearing all the time near the beginning of my freshman year in High School!
6: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (1) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and had collected their second two weeks before. This song, with three weeks on top, was 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 especially glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year.
5: TYPICAL MALE – TINA TURNER (9) - 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.
4: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (7) - Here's another song that went to #1 on the R&R chart (this week, in fact), but didn't quite make it on the Hot 100, peaking here at #4, though, which isn't bad either. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch.
3: TWO OF HEARTS – STACEY Q (6) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah part is somewhat embarrassing and definitely annoying.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T GET ME WRONG - THE PRETENDERS - This was their first Top 40 hit since "Show Me", about a year and a half before. I liked it, but preferred "Brass In Pocket" and "Back On The Chain Gang".
2: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (4) - 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).
1: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (3) - 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.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - October 14, 2023

This week's presentation - October 23, 1976

40: QUEEN OF MY SOUL – AVERAGE WHITE BAND (debut) - This is the very first time I ever heard this song. Which, of course, is understandable, as this was the song's only week on the chart. Too bad, as it was a really good song.
39: SUMMER – WAR (25) - Looks like everyone realized that summer was indeed over, as this song took quite a dive this week. Of course, I like this song at any time of year.
38: DON’T GO BREAKIN’ MY HEART – ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (33) - This song, on the other hand, took a much smaller drop. This song was the second most popular song of 1976, behind "Silly Love Songs" by Wings. Of course, I think we all know that I prefer this one, right?
37: SAY YOU LOVE ME – FLEETWOOD MAC (15) - Wow, this one took an even bigger drop than the War song. Of course, the album from which this song was released had been out for over a year (and definitely took its sweet time getting to #1). My favorite song on the Fleetwood Mac album was "Rhiannon", but this was a good one too.
36: WITH YOUR LOVE – JEFFERSON STARSHIP (22) - Wow, lots of big drops on this week's chart! This one was a high point in the show for JessieLou. This one sounded very much like their big hit "Miracles", from the year before. I liked both songs about the same.
35: A DOSE OF ROCK ‘N ROLL – RINGO STARR (debut) - When he first started out as a solo artist, he did quite well - his first seven songs hit the Top Ten, but then he burned out quite fast - his last three songs came nowhere near the Top 20. This was the highest peaking of those, peaking at #26. The song was OK, but definitely not his best.
34: YOU ARE MY STARSHIP – NORMAN CONNORS (38) - A typical 70s slow jam, but I liked it - nice and relaxing. Sounds like something George Benson might do.
33: GET THE FUNK OUT OF MY FACE – BROTHERS JOHNSON (30) - Great song! That is, if you’re into R&B disco, which, unfortunately, I’m not. But I realize that a lot of people are, so they probably like this song - and really, more power to them. It just doesn't do anything for me.
32: THIS ONE’S FOR YOU – BARRY MANILOW (40) - I'm surprised that Budweiser didn't use this for their commercials back in the 70s (after all, Barry would only have to change one word). Like most of Barry Manilow's songs, I liked it a lot, only I felt that this one was underrated.
31: WHAM BAM SHANG-A-LANG – SILVER (18) - 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!
30: DID YOU BOOGIE WITH YOUR BABY – FLASH CADILLAC (34) - See song #33.
29: RUBBER BAND MAN - SPINNERS (35) - What, does he shoot rubberbands at unsuspecting victims? But seriously, this song's OK, but definitely far from being my favorite song from them.
28: DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO – PETER FRAMPTON (39) - Wow, AT40 showed no mercy when editing this song. It couldn't have been much, if any, longer than three minutes. Of course, the entire single version is more than twice that long (and the album version - twice as long as that!) Anyway, I never used to like this song, but now, I think it's great - has a very distinct bassline.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: NIGHTS ARE FOREVER WITHOUT YOU - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY - They peaked at #2 a month before with their first hit "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" (which is coming up on the countdown), and this one would also hit the Top Ten. It was a great one!
27: BEST DISCO IN TOWN – RICHEY FAMILY (31) - Stars on 45 were the ones that kicked off the medley crazy proper, but there were a few of them in the 70s as well, including this one, a collection of pop and R&B hits. It was a good one.
26: JUST TO BE CLOSE TO YOU - COMMODORES (37) - I didn't like many of their earlier hits. That used to include this song, but I've grown to like this song a little better than previously. Their quality began going up even more with their song from the following summer, "Easy".
25: MUSKRAT LOVE – CRAPTAIN & TENNILLE (32) - BLEGH!! The song is bad enough, but must they try to give us a visual during the bridge with those disgusting sound effects? Yes, muskrats f**k one another - just like pretty much any other animal! We get it! OK, I'm done with my rant - now on with the countdown.
24: MORE THEN A FEELING – BOSTON (debut) - Wow, I had no idea that this song debuted so high. Not bad for a brand-new group. No wonder their debut album sold so many copies and AOR stations played just about every song from the album on the radio. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from Boston and how refreshing it was to hear this after the dreck one song back.
23: YOU ARE THE WOMAN - FIREFALL (27) - Oddly enough, this, Firefall's first hit, was their only Top Ten. They had two songs that just barely missed, however. This was a great song, but I preferred one of the near-misses, "Just Remember I Love You".
22: NADIA’S THEME – PERRY BODKIN JR. (28) - This, of course, was the theme for "The Young And The Restless". I definitely recognize the music, even if I have never seen any episodes of it. I like it - a great chill-out type song.
21: FERNANDO – ABBA (24) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "El Condor Pasa" by Simon & Garfunkel. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Abba, but it seems to me that they always butcher this song - it seemed that they edited out half of the song.
20: GET AWAY – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (12) - Indeed, one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1970s! Though this wasn't quite as good as "That's The Way Of The World" and "September", it was still a good song nevertheless.
19: THE WRECK OF THE EDMOND FITZGERALD - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (21) - A true story about an ore freighter that was caught in a fierce storm in Lake Superior the year before, and ultimately sunk, killing all 29 crewmen on board. They generally edited this song, but this week, it was played in its entirety. As depressing of a story as it is, I like the song - one of my favorite of his Top 40 hits.
18: BETH – KISS (20) - Like Alice Cooper, they're more known for their hard rockers, but they have done a few ballads, two of which have hit the charts (their only Top Tens, BTW), and they're both among my favorites (although this one gets the slighter edge).
17: DON’T FEAR THE REAPER – BLUE OYSTER CULT (19) - A classic rock staple here. The one that radio usually plays features the instrumental bridge, but it was cut out in this song.
16: LOVE SO RIGHT – BEE GEES (23) - This song was moving up the chart rather quickly and looked like it might be another #1 like "You Should Be Dancing"
15: A LITTLE BIT MORE – DR. HOOK (11) - 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!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JEANS ON - DAVID DUNDAS - Average.
14: MAGIC MAN – HEART (16) - Another high point for JessieLou! This was their second Top 40 hit, and it made the Top Ten, unlike the first. 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).
13: I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU – BAY CITY ROLLERS (17) - The first of two remakes of this song to make the Top 40. The second one came in early 1989 for Samantha Fox. I like both of them about the same.
12: THAT’LL BE THE DAY – LINDA RONSTADT (14) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by Buddy Holly.
11: ROCK ‘N ME – STEVE MILLER BAND (13) - Another one I remember 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.
10: I’D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (5) - OK - why did they edit this song? It's two and a half minutes long in the first place - just how short did they want it? Well, anyway, this was their biggest hit ever, and my favorite song from them.
9: SHE’S GONE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (10) - Cry me a river, guys! (Though the story about this song initially bombing three times was interesting).
8: (SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (9) - Wow, kind of odd that this song was moving back up despite being on its way down and having been on the chart for so long. This song wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite of their three songs up to this point.
7: DEVIL WOMAN – CLIFF RICHARD (6) - This song was charting at an appropriate time of the year, due to its references to Halloween characters, such as black cats and witches (and back then, many kids dressed as devils - a costume that's generally frowned upon anymore). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his 80s hits.
6: YOU’RE STILL THE ONE – ORLEANS (7) - 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.
5: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC, WHITE BOY – WILD CHERRY (2) - 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!
4: IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW – CHICAGO (5) - Now here's one I heard at least once a day back in the fall of 1976! But I don't think I ever got tired of it. Has a very haunting melody to it (so I guess it was fitting that it would hit #1 on Halloween weekend).
3: LOWDOWN – BOZ SCAGGS (3) - 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT) - ROD STEWART - Even though this was not in the Top 40 yet, in four short weeks, it would be #1, and remained there for eight weeks. As overplayed as it was, it still sounds great!
2: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN – THE WALTER MURPHY BAND (1) - This was an interesting disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
1: DISCO DUCK – RICK DEES (4) - OK, how in the world did this get to #1? Oh yeah, disco was all the rage back in 1976. Whatever...

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - October 14, 2023

This week's presentation - October 16, 1982

Droppers:
YOU KEEP RUNNIN' AWAY - .38 SPECIAL (38) - Hey, how about that? This song peaked at its namesake position. Anyway, it’s a great song, like most of their charted songs are.
MAKE BELIEVE - TOTO (30) - This one has kind of a sixties flavor to it. The man singing lead kind of sounds like Mickey Thomas, of the Jefferson Starship, doesn't he? Anyway, this song, which I thought was a great one, is a classic example of peak disparities between the Hot 100 and the R&R pop chart - in the latter, this song peaked at #10, while this was all the higher the song got on the AT40 chart.
THINK I'M IN LOVE - EDDIE MONEY (16) - His first Top 40 hit in nearly three and a half years. This one peaked at #16 the week before, but managed to place on the Top 100 of 1982, at #70, due to its chart longevity. It was a good song, though I preferred several others from him (such as "Maybe I'm A Fool", "Endless Nights" and "After This Love Is Gone", among others.
DO YOU WANNA TOUCH ME - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (20) - She indeed had a great year in 1982, with her rock and roll anthem, one of the biggest hits of the year, and her Top Ten remake of "Crimson And Clover". This song didn't do quite as well, but did hit the Top 20. I wasn't a big fan of this song, however.

LW#2: ABRACADABRA – STEVE MILLER BAND
LW#1: JACK AND DIANE – JOHN COUGAR
40: MUSCLES – DIANA ROSS (debut) - Meh, not one of my favorites from her by any means.
39: HURT SO GOOD – JOHN COUGAR (15) - This song had been gliding down the chart slowly, but gravity set in this week as it took a huge tumble, nearly falling out of the Top 40 (in which case it probably would have fallen all the way down into the 60s). Anyway, this was Cougar's first of two hits in the countdown this week. I think we all know that I prefer this song.
38: MICKEY – TONI BASIL (39) - And here's another oddity - this song was only moving up a single notch - who knew that this would eventually make it all the way to the top. Anyhoo, this is a pretty good song, though I don't like it quite as much as I did back in the day.
37: PRESSURE – BILLY JOEL (debut) - This was a great song, but I must say, the single version of this was way too butchered. I preferred the full album version, but, unfortunately, every station that plays this song goes with the single version. Oh well...
36: I GET EXCITED – RICK SPRINGFIELD (40) - This one sounded so much like "Jessie's Girl" - especially the opening guitar notes - but the rest of the song itself was similar as well. That said, I'm surprised that this song didn't get any higher than #32, given how big a hit "Jessie's Girl" was. It was a good song, though I prefer a few others from Rick.
35: STEPPIN’ OUT – JOE JACKSON (debut) - I don't like this song quite as much as I did back in the day, but it's still good. Still, I preferred his other Top 40 hits.
34: AMERICAN HEARTBEAT - SURVIVOR (debut) - This song definitely did not come close to matching the success of their previous hit, the monster smash "Eye Of The Tiger", which is too bad, because I thought this song, which reminded me a little of "Abacab" by Genesis, was one of their best.
33: ATHENA – THE WHO (37) - Mainly an album rock band, they did have a handful of Top 40 hits. This was one of their lower charting ones, however, and their final Top 40 entry. I thought the song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from them, including "Squeeze Box" and "You Better You Bet" (it's still a lot better than "Who Are You" IMO.
32: SOUTHERN CROSS – CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH (36) - Most people I know preferred their earlier hits, but I'm the odd man out, as I preferred their most recent hits. This and "Wasted On The Way" are among my favorite songs by them. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against their 60s/70s hits, but they just don't quite match up to their two 1982 hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: GET CLOSER - LINDA RONSTADT - Well, they got the right song this time around. I wasn't crazy about this song, however, mainly because of the way she shouted in the chorus. This song was used in a Close-Up toothpaste commercial not long after this song charted.
31: YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME – THE GAP BAND (31) - This song was currently in its fourth of five total weeks at its peak of #31, which has to be close to the (pre-PPW) record for peaking at a position outside the Top 30. I liked this and their song from earlier in 1982, "Early In The Morning" about the same.
30: LOVE COME DOWN – EVELYN KING (32) - Most of her songs are so/so, but I actually really like this one. My favorite from her!
LDD: TOGETHER - TIERRA - This song, from a girl to her dad in prison for a crime he committed in effort just to keep a roof over their heads, was fitting for the LDD.
29: VOYEUR – KIM CARNES (29) - She was quite successful on the charts during the first two years of the 1980s, with two Top Ten hits in 1980 and, of course, the biggest song of 1981, but after that, she seemed to burn out quite fast, as none of her successive songs peaked above #15. This song was sitting at its peak for a fourth and final week. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred said Top Ten hits from her.
28: SWEET TIME – REO SPEEDWAGON (35) - This was one of their more obscure power ballads, which I thought was a shame, as I thought it was one of their best!
27: NEW WORLD MAN - RUSH (33) - Like the Who, they were chiefly an album rock band. Only they only had one Top 40 hit. Believe it or not, their songs "Spirit Of The Radio" and "Tom Sawyer", both of which get tons of classic rock airplay, never made the Top 40! As for this song, it's one of my favorite songs from them, along with their hit "Subdivisions", from the same album which, I believe, received sporadic airplay in early 1983, but I don't think was ever released as a single.
26: YOU DON’T WANT ME ANYMORE – STEEL BREEZE (28) - This is the song that kicked off the Top 100 of 1982. It sounds a little like something Rick Springfield would sing. I think it's a great song, as well as their other Top 40 hit, "Dreamin' Is Easy", which would chart in early 1983.
25: NOBODY - SYLVIA (34) - Classic case of a guy having an affair and playing it down when asked about it. This song reminded me of "Seven Year Ache" by Roseanne Cash, one of my favorite country crossover songs of the early 80s, as is this song.
24: JUMP TO IT – ARETHA FRANKLIN (24) - This song was typical R&B music of the 1980s. It was pretty good, but I generally preferred her songs from the mid-80s and after).
23: YOU SHOULD HEAR HOW SHE TALKS ABOUT YOU – MELISSA MANCHESTER (14) - Her third Top Ten hit, as well as her biggest hit ever (both in terms of peak position and weeks on the chart). This was a good song, although sounds a little like a message you’d find in a middle school girls’ notebook.
22: THE ONE YOU LOVE – GLENN FREY (26) - I liked this song a lot when it was on the charts, but then my interest in it dulled kind of fast. I prefer several others from him.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT - PAT BENATAR - Here's one I remember hearing all the time back in the late fall of 1982! It was one of my favorite songs, and still remains possibly my all-time favorite song by Benatar!
21: BIG FUN – KOOL & THE GANG (22) - Another typical R&B song of the era. I wasn't a big fan of this one, however. This song was quite repetitive - I mean, did they really have to repeat “HAVE some fun, HAVE some fun” over and over again?
20: DON’T FIGHT IT – KENNY LOGGINS & STEVE PERRY (23) - Sort of a random pairing here, but it indeed worked, as the song hit the Top 20 on AT40 (and got as high as #4 on the R&R chart, so apparently it wasn't a huge seller - but got plenty of airplay). It was a great song indeed!
19: WHAT’S FOREVER FOR – MICHAEL MURPHY (19) - Chiefly a country artist, Murphey had several pop crossovers. His biggest was "Wild Fire", a #3 hit in 1975, but this was second biggest hit, peaking at #19 for five weeks. It is also my favorite of his crossover hits - a great song indeed!
18: HEARTLIGHT – NEIL DIAMOND (27) - This song, of course, was inspired by the summer blockbuster E.T. I loved that movie (though I don't know why the remastered version features Elliott riding across the sun instead of the moon) - as for the song, it's good, but far from being Diamond's best song.
17: GLORIA – LAURA BRANIGAN (18) - Here's a song that got quite a lot of mileage on the chart! Spent 22 weeks in the Top 40, and 36 weeks on the Hot 100. It was a great song - one that has aged quite well.
16: HOLD ON - SANTANA (16) - Carlos Santana definitely had his best chart success during his comeback around the turn of the century - especially at Hot AC radio. I liked a lot of those songs, as overplayed as they were, but they didn't hold a candle to this song - possibly my favorite Santana song of all time!
15: GYPSY – FLEETWOOD MAC (21) - Big surprise that this song did not at least hit the Top Ten, given the fact that it was a #1 on R&R. It didn't even spend very long in the Top 40. Anyway, this song reminded me a little of their hit "Sara", which also featured Stevie Nicks on lead. I liked both songs (but preferred "Sara").
14: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR (6) - This is another song that, like the John Cougar song we heard earlier, has held up quite well despite overplay. I still prefer a few others by them, such as "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", and their low charter from late 1983 "Caught In The Game".
13: BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY – JUICE NEWTON (13) - Of course, we all know that my favorite songs from her are from 1982, and this one is my absolute favorite from her. I preferred this one over the original by Brenda Lee.
12: BLUE EYES – ELTON JOHN (12) - One of two songs he charted with in 1982, both of them making the Top 20. Though I preferred the other song, "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny", this one was a good one too.
11: UP WHERE WE BELONG – JOE C0CKER & JENNIFER WARNES (17) - This song was not yet in the Top Ten, yet it would hit #1 just two weeks later. This was a good song - not sure if I prefer this or Warnes' other movie duet from five years later.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROCK THE CASBAH - THE CLASH
10: I RAN – A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (10) - The first (and biggest) of three hits by this English new wave and synthpop band. I liked all three songs, but I'm not sure which one I liked best. They played the album version of the song at first, with the synth solo at the end, instead of repeating the chorus to fade, which is on the 45.
9: HEART ATTACK – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (11) - This song had set the record for the biggest jump within the Top 40 (during the 1980s) a few weeks earlier, moving 39-13. The song didn't quite make it to #1, though; instead, it spent the entire month of November at #3. It was a great song, though not quite as good as "Make A Move On Me", which hit the Top Five the previous spring.
LDD: MAKE IT WITH YOU - BREAD - I was sleeping during this LDD, so I'll have to listen to this part of the show again and post my comment then.
8: YOU CAN DO MAGIC - AMERICA (9) - A comeback hit for them in two different ways - their first Top Ten hit since 1975, when "Sister Golden Hair" hit #1, and their first Top 40 since 1976, when they peaked at #23 with "Today's The Day". This was one of their best hits, IMO, and one I remember quite well back in the day!
7: SOMEBODY’S BABY – JACKSON BROWNE (8) - This one always reminded me of a girl I had a crush on back in fifth grade for some reason. It remains one of my favorites from Jackson Browne.
6: I KEEP FORGETTIN’ – MICHAEL McDONALD (7) - REGULATORS!!! Mount up! Well, at least that would be the song that, twelve years later, sampled this song, which was a great song and showed that Michael McDonald was good as a solo artist as well as lead singer of the Doobie Brothers, whom had disbanded earlier in the year.
5: ABRACADABRA – STEVE MILLER BAND (2) - This song, which had just spent two non-consecutive weeks on top, was two weeks away from falling out of the Top 40 from inside the Top Ten - the last of three songs to do that in 1982, following "Get Down On It" by Kool & The Gang and "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply, the latter which, of course, set a record by falling out from #6. Anyway, this was a good song, and one you don’t hear much anymore (but they’ll occasionally play it on Sunny 101.5).
4: HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY - CHICAGO (3) - It looked like this song was going to peak at #5, a position it held for the past four weeks, but it managed to rise above the competition and go all the way to #1, where it spent a pair of weeks. This was their comeback hit (as they hadn't hit the Top 40 since "No Tell Lover" in early 1979), and it turned out to be one of their biggest hits ever. As you probably know all too well, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio.
3: EYE IN THE SKY – THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (4) - Having the late Eric Woolfson singing lead on their songs was definitely a good move, as they did not start hitting the Top Ten until then. This was their biggest hit ever, peaking at #3. I was starting to become burned out on this song about this time in 1982, and remained so for several years, but now that it doesn't get much recurrent airplay anymore, I like it again. Back in the day, many radio stations played this song along "Sirius", which segues into it.
2: WHO CAN IT BE NOW – MEN AT WORK (5) - This one, along with their other Business As Usual #1, "Down Under" are both way overplayed. Yet radio stations pretty much ignore any of the Cargo singles, which IMO are superior to the two #1s.
1: JACK AND DIANE – JOHN COUGAR (1) - Here's another song that I used to like back in the day before overplay pretty much did it in. I definitely preferred his other song in the countdown this week.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - October 14, 2023

This week's presentation - October 15, 1983

LW#1: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - BONNIE TYLER
40: EVERYDAY PEOPLE - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (debut) - Of course, we all know that this song was originally done by Sly & The Family Stone. I may be in the minority here, but I actually prefer this updated version.
39: WHAT AM I GONNA DO - ROD STEWART (35) - I remember U93 had this song in regular rotation, so I was surprised that this song peaked so low. I would have assumed it was a Top Ten song. It only got as high as #35, however, which I felt was a shame. Indeed an underrated song!
38: EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK - ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS (debut) - Meh, for some reason, I was never a huge fan of this song.
37: CAN'T SHAKE LOOSE - AGNETHA FALTSKOG (39) - Back in the early spring, Abba member Frida charted with her solo hit "I Know There's Something Going On" - now another member of the Swedish group tried her luck. This one didn't quite match up to the success of the Frida song, however. I thought it was a good song - I like both songs about the same, but prefer several other songs by Abba.
36: FOOLIN' - DEF LEPPARD (40) - After two rockers, they decided to release a power ballad. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as successful as the predecessors, but Def Leppard would end up having more success with power ballads in the future, including one that went to #1 almost exactly five years later (That, of course, was "Love Bites"). As for this song, it was a pretty good one.
35: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR (debut) - This song was on its way to becoming her second Top Ten hit (yes, I also thought she'd had more Top Ten hits up to this point). It was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by her.
34/LDD: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - POLICE (26) - Not sure how a song about stalking managed to spend eight weeks at #1, and whatever would possess two parents to dedicate such a song to their son who was born premature?
33: IT MUST BE LOVE - MADNESS (33) - Well, "Our House" was indeed a big hit, but this one, on the other hand, didn't even touch the Top 30. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred the first one.
32: LOVE IS A STRANGER - EURYTHMICS (debut) - Well what is it - a stranger or a battlefield? Those are two completely different things! I'm confused. But seriously, this song's not bad, but definitely not one of my favorites from them.
31: CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE - QUIET RIOT (debut) - I was never a huge heavy metal fan, but for some reason, I loved this song! I would crank it up whenever it came on the radio.
30: HEART AND SOUL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (38) - Their third of many Top 40 hits. It was a good song, but far from being my favorite from them.
29: DR. HECKYLL & MR. JIVE - MEN AT WORK (37) - This was very different sounding for Men At Work. It seems to border on being a novelty hit, which might have something to do with how it tanked so fast (that, along with the fact that Men At Work had already had their day in the sun. It seems that the popularity of Aussie bands had faded away, because this was also around the time that Air Supply and the Little River Band had their last big hits (although Air Supply would have a minor resurgence a few years later).
28: DON'T CRY - ASIA (19) - They were somewhat of a flash in the pan, as they only had three Top 20 hits, in the span of slightly over a year. This was a good one, though my least favorite of their Top 40 hits.
27: SITTING AT THE WHEEL - MOODY BLUES (28) - "Running On Empty" meets "Sister Goldenhair", as I hear elements of both songs in this song, which was the Moody Blues' comeback hit after two years off. Because of that, many people thought it would do better than it did but, unfortunately, it didn't even make the Top 20.
26: SAY SAY SAY - PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - On this week's 70s version of the show, we heard the highest debut on AT40 since 1971. This song made the highest debut on the entire Hot 100 since that same year, when John Lennon entered at #20 with "Imagine", and the song that debuts the highest since then is by one of Lennon's former bandmates. This song is pretty good, but kinda cheesy.
25: THIS TIME - BRYAN ADAMS (31) - His third and final Top 40 hit from Cuts Like A Knife. It is my favorite of those three hits, though I preferred a few of his later hits.
24: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL (32) - Joel's salute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was a good song (I did prefer it over "Tell Her About It"), but I preferred a few other songs from "An Innocent Man", including album cuts.
EXTRA: START ME UP - ROLLING STONES - Interesting story about their record-setting recording contract (what was it, $28M?) Anyway, for more information, see my opinion about this song on my critique of last week's 1981 show.
23: MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO (13) - One of two #1 songs from the movie Flashdance. I preferred the title track over this one.
22: MODERN LOVE - DAVID BOWIE (36) - I was surprised that this song took the biggest leap on the chart that week, seeing that the song didn't even make the Top Ten. Anyway, for more information, check my opinion for "Fame" on my critique for this week's 1979 show, on which that song is one of the three Archive songs.
21: PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - TACO (18) - The man is Dutch and he named himself after a Mexican food - go figure! Anyway, this song, originally a hit over 50 years before, was updated so as not to sound out of place by 1983 standards. It was a good song. I must say, it's #4 peak was quite a far cry from its run on the Pop chart, where it only got as high as #17. I wonder if it would have been #1 on the Sales chart, had it existed back then. Moreover, I'm quite surprised that it didn't hit the Top Ten on the Pop chart, as the radio stations I listened to all played this song regularly.
20: BIG LOG - ROBERT PLANT (21) - The first solo hit by the lead singer of the legendary band Led Zeppelin. I've always wondered how high their hit "Stairway To Heaven" would have climbed had it been released as a single. As for this song, it was a good one, but I generally prefer his Led Zeppelin singles, including the one mentioned above.
19: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE - PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK (20) - This was one of several duets from them, though it was the only one that charted on AT40 (the second, "You're Looking Like Love To Me" just missed, in early 1983). I preferred that song, though this one was a great one as well.
18: IF ANYONE FALLS - STEVIE NICKS (25) - The second hit from The Wild Heart album. Strange that none of the singles, even the biggest one, "Stand Back", get much recurrent airplay. This would be my favorite single from the album.
17: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER - THE MOTELS (23) - They had four Top 40 hits, and I liked all of them. This one would peak at #9, like their first hit "Only The Lonely". I think that we all know that my favorite song from them was "Remember The Nights.
16: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - LAURA BRANIGAN (12) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that Michael Bolton wrote this one (and later on recorded his own version). This is my favorite of Laura's 1983 hits (including "Gloria", which ranked on 1983's year-end list), but I slightly prefer Bolton's version.
15: PROMISES, PROMISES - NAKED EYES (11) - 1983 was definitely their heyday, as they had their two biggest hits that year (along with a minor hit at the very end). This was my favorite of their two Top 20 hits (I forget how "When The Lights Go Out" goes at the moment).
14: FAR FROM OVER - FRANK STALLONE (10) - Interesting how it looked like Frank was going to be the first big star in the family only to have big brother Sylvester beat him to it. Frank did finally make it, though this was his only Top 40 hit, but a great song it was!
13: DELIRIOUS - PRINCE (17) - Meh, I'm not a fan of this one at all. Give me "Little Red Corvette" any day!
12: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE - TALKING HEADS (15) - Geez, are you trying to make me sick? One of the most annoying song of the 1980s!
11: TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) - SHEENA EASTON (16) - Well, after those two crapfests in a row, at least we get one of my favorite songs on the chart this week! Definitely my favorite of Sheena's upbeat hits!
LDD: I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING - B.J. THOMAS - This song fit the dedication quite well. I like it, but I preferred "Hooked On A Feeling"
OPTIONAL EXTRA: CRUMBLIN' DOWN - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP - Ah, his first hit using his real last name. I knew that Cougar was just a stage name, but didn't know what his real last name, so when I first heard the song being announced, I thought he was singing with a band called Melon Camp. Anyway, I was never a big fan of this song for some reason.
10: (SHE'S) SEXY + 17 - STRAY CATS (5) - Their final Top Ten hit (although the lead singer did have a hit with his new band in 1998 called "Jump, Jive An' Wail"). This song wasn't bad, but I preferred the Stray Cats' three other Top 40 hits.
9: TELL HER ABOUT IT - BILLY JOEL (7) - The first of six hits from the Innocent Man album. However, it was one of my least favorites, due to overplay (and I wasn't too crazy about it in the first place).
8: THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS (8) - As usual, they played the single version of the song, which of course is my favorite. The other one just doesn't cut it, IMO.
7: ALL NIGHT LONG (ALL NIGHT) - LIONEL RICHIE (14) - This may have been his biggest hit, but not in my book it wasn't! Of course, the overplay may have had something to do with it, but I don't know; I never really liked it in the first place.
6: ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER - THE FIXX (9) - Here's another song that overplay sort of ruined (as I do remember liking this one at first). I preferred "Save By Zero" by a fairly wide margin.
5: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM - KENNY ROGERS W/ DOLLY PARTON (6) - I wasn't too much for this song (and I don't think I need to tell you my opinion on Getto Superstar!), but I've grown to like this song a lot better than I have over the past few years. This song made for a very funny joke about Dolly Parton taking a bath.
4: TRUE - SPANDAU BALLET (4) - PM Dawn and Nelly apparently like this song, as both artists sampled it in their songs. I think the song's pretty good, too, though I didn't like it too much during its chart run.
3: KING OF PAIN - POLICE (3) - The follow-up to their ad nauseum played song that came before. That song was spending a 20th and final week in the Top 40 this week.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MIRROR MAN - HUMAN LEAGUE - Wow, I never know that this song was about Adam Ant. You learn something new everyday. Anyway, this was my second favorite song from them, behind "Don't You Want Me".
2: MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL - AIR SUPPLY (2) - The first of two Jim Steinman-penned songs on this week's chart - two weeks in a row that the Top Two songs were written and produced by the same person - the first time that had ever happened.
1: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - BONNIE TYLER (1) - The other Steinman-composed song on the chart this week, and this one would end up going all the way (in fact, it would block the other one from the #1 spot!) As I've mentioned before, I liked both songs about the same.

[mrjukebox]

The actual singer on "You Are My Starship" was Michael Henderson.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - October 21, 2023

This week's presentation - October 22, 1977

40: DO YOUR DANCE - ROSE ROYCE (debut) - Their third hit during the year - pretty much typical 70s R&B music.
39: MY FAIR SHARE - SEALS AND CROFTS (debut) - Of their eight Top 40 hits, this is the one that peaked lowest, which I thought was a shame, since it was a great song.
38: CHANGES IN LATITUDE, CHANGES IN ATTITUDE - JIMMY BUFFETT (debut) - Not one of his biggest chart hits but, from what I hear, it's a concert favorite of his. And I can see why; it's a great song.
37: DAYBREAK - BARRY MANILOW (debut) - A fun, sing-along hit from Manilow. I vaguely remember this from its chart run.
36: SEND IN THE CLOWNS - JUDY COLLINS (40) - Interesting that this song started its chart run similar to that of its original one - moving 40-36. It would deviate from it the following week, as, in its original release, it didn't get any higher, but this time around, would continue to climb the chart, en route to its peak at #19. I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure, as I like it.
35: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - BROTHERS JOHNSON (25) - 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.
34: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (23) - 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 the following week).
33: I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU - FOGHAT (37) - Here's one I remember hearing quite a lot back in 1977! Not one of my favorite songs by any means, but tolerable.
32: BLUE BAYOU - LINDA RONSTADT (36) - Of Ronstadt's two Top Five hits from late 1977, this would be my favorite. The other song, "It's So Easy", would hit the chart next week. I liked that song as well.
31: TELEPHONE LINE - ELO (18) - This one certainly got a lot of mileage on the chart! This was its sixteenth week on, an unusually long chart run for a song that didn't hit the Top Five (it had peaked at #7 the previous month).
30: WE JUST DISAGREE - DAVE MASON (34) - This one sounds kind of dated. It's not bad, but it somehow doesn't sound anywhere near as fresh as it did back in 1977.
29: DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME - PETER BROWN (33) - This might not be roof-raising R&B, but it's definitely quite repetitive. Not a big fan.
28: DUSIC - BRICK (31) - This would probably qualify as "roof-raising R&B", but I actually kind of liked this one.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE WILL ROCK YOU - QUEEN - This wasn't bad, but I much preferred the flipside, which is the song that was the big hit, while Billboard did not chart this one, but since they were segued together on the album, they were played together on many stations.
27: I BELIEVE YOU - DOROTHY MOORE (27) - This was her second hit - sounded a little like "Misty Blue", only I liked this one a lot better.
EXTRA: BAD BAD LEROY BROWN - JIM CROCE - A great song by a great man who was taken away from us way, way, way too soon
26: WE'RE ALL ALONE - RITA COOLIDGE (32) - This was her second Top Ten hit - I like both songs about the same. I remember buying the 45 of "We're All Alone" in March, 1983 - and "Higher Than Higher" was on the flipside!
25: SHE DID IT - ERIC CARMEN (29) - 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.
24: HELP IS ON THE WAY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (26) - As usual, this song was chopped down, cutting out the second verse. Truly, a four-hour show was called for a few years before it finally became a reality. Anyway, I liked this song, though I preferred a few others from them.
23: BEST OF MY LOVE - EMOTIONS (17) - Definitely one of the biggest hits of the year, and deservedly so, as it was a great one!
22: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (12) - This one might not have made the Top Ten, but it was indeed a big hit nonetheless, spending fifteen weeks on the chart! Definitely my favorite song from him!
21: SURFIN' USA - LEIF GARRETT (21) - Like #36, a guilty pleasure (only for a different reason), as I rather like this song - but I can definitely see why many people hated this one.
20: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES (24) - Little did anyone know just how big a hit this would be! Who knew that it would still be on the chart at the beginning of spring? Definitely one of my favorites from them!
19: SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED - PETER FRAMPTON (20) - Casey said something about Peter Frampton's live album from the year before being on its way to becoming the biggest selling live album of all time (not sure, as I wasn't paying full attention). His current album, I'm In You, didn't quite live up to that success, but it did spawn two Top 20 hits. The title track, of course, was my favorite.
18: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL (22) - They only had one Top Ten, but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, and it is one of my favorite songs by Firefall.
17: BABY WHAT A BIG SURPRISE - CHICAGO (35) - This song, the first song by the Windy City band in about a year, looked like it might repeat the success of that last hit, "If You Leave Me Now", which was their first #1 hit, but not quite (it did peak at #4, though, which is nothing to sneeze at). As for the song, it's pretty good, but I prefer many others from them.
16: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (16) - 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.
15: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (10) - This song just came off of an incredible Top Ten run - sixteen weeks! More than half of the #1 hits during 1977 didn't even spend that long in the entire Top 40! Unsurprisingly, this song wound up as AT40's #1 song - and it was definitely worthy of that honor - it was my favorite song from Gibb!
14: HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS (19) - 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S SO EASY - LINDA RONSTADT - Well speak of the devil! I mentioned this song earlier and, lo and behold, it's one of this week's Optional Extras. As I mentioned earlier, though I preferred "Blue Bayou", this is a great song as well!
13: THE KING IS GONE - RONNIE McDOWELL (15) - A very touching tribute to Elvis Presley, whom we had sadly lost two months before.
12: DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - CRYSTAL GAYLE (13) - Like Ronnie Milsap, this was Crystal Gayle's first Top 40 hit. The only difference is, this one hit the Top Ten - 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 AC chart).
11: IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME - BARRY WHITE (14) - More often than not, AT40 only played about a minute of this song (I wasn't paying much attention, so I'm not sure if this was one of those weeks). I personally wasn't a big fan of this song, or much of anything from Barry White.
10: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (11) - Casey jinxed Johnny Rivers here, as he said that he was closing in on Donny Osmond of the king of remakes. Not only did Rivers never have another remake hit, this was his last Top 40 appearance. So, as far as I know, Osmond still stands as the artist with the most Top 40 cover versions. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others by Rivers.
9: STAR WARS - MECO (5) - Interesting disco version of the Star Wars theme, though I preferred the one by the London Symphony Orchestra, which hit the Top Ten about a month before.
8: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (9) - Part 2 of "Love To Love You Baby". I wasn't a huge fan of this one - I preferred Summer's 1978-80 era.
7: BRICK HOUSE - COMMODORES (8) - 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.
6: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (7) - I forgot that this song was still climbing at this point (perhaps because it had peaked a month before on the R&R chart). I like this and their other 1977 hit "Feels Like The First Time" about the same.
EXTRA: LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - ELTON JOHN - At the time, this was the most successful Beatles remake to hit the charts (went all the way to #1 in early 1975). This was my favorite version of the song by a fairly large margin (the original was mediocre, especially compared to this one, which was quite elaborate).
5: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (6) - aka Part 1 of this song (part 2 would chart the following summer). Both songs bookended about the only Heatwave song that I like, "Always And Forever".
4: KEEP IT COMING LOVE - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (2) - This one broke their streak of all of their Top Ten songs hitting #1. It looked like it had a chance the week before when the Star Wars theme dropped out of the top spot, but it was leapfrogged over by the song that is still #1 this week. More on that in a moment.
3: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (4) - His second Top 40 hit - I like this one and "Da Doo Ron Ron" equally.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: COME SAIL AWAY - STYX - Surprisingly, the did NOT go with the single version of the song, which was what was usually (if not always) played when the song was in the countdown. Instead, they played a version of the song that included both verses. It was probably the album version, but I'm not sure, as Larry faded it out when it was barely into the chorus, so it could have been the long version (which runs about six minutes) or
the version of the song that I've heard that includes both verses but eliminates the bridge with the weird outer space noises. That one is apparently quite rare - the versions that radio plays are either the single version of the full album version (usually the latter).
2: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (3) - 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 - well, this week's #1 song (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.
1: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE (1) - THE ULTIMATE GUILTY PLEASURE HERE!! This song was in its second of ten weeks at the top, and was the fifth movie theme to top the chart in 1977! Of course, this is the song that ended KC & The Sunshine Band's #1 streak (well, for their songs that made the Top 30, anyway), as well as kept several other songs at bay, by spending ten weeks on top Indeed a great song!