Chart Critiques

[Hervard]

I almost forgot - here is the April 23, 1988 "B" show from this past weekend:

This week's presentation - April 23, 1988

Droppers:
I GET WEAK - BELINDA CARLISLE (39) - She came so close to having two consecutive #1 hits, but this one just missed. This was definitely my favorite song from her sophomore album, as well as one of my all-time faves from her!
HYSTERIA - DEF LEPPARD (38) - The title track from one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s, and the first of four Top Tens from it. It was a good one - reminded me a little of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield, from three years prior.
FATHER FIGURE - GEORGE MICHAEL (34) - He was really on a roll with big solo hits - this was his second #1, and he definitely didn't stop there. I like this song a lot better than I did back during its chart run.
SITTIN' ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY - MICHAEL BOLTON (22) - Bolton's second chart hit, featuring Journey's Neil Schon on guitar. It was a good one - I actually preferred this cover over the original by Otis Redding, which had topped the chart exactly 20 years before this one reached its peak of #11.

40: ONE GOOD REASON – PAUL CARRACK (debut) - It looked like this song was somewhat riding on the coattails of his Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Don't Shed A Tear", as it only got as high as #28. I liked both songs about the same, but my favorite of Carrack's solo hits was his AC hit from 1997 "For Once In Our Lives".
39: STRANGE BUT TRUE – TIMES TWO (debut) - A faceless band, but a great song! I felt it was underrated.
38: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - Definitely one of the most successful duos of all time, having many chart hits over the past twelve years (though they had been absent from the chart for three years as Daryl had a brief solo career). This, however, would end up being their final Top Ten hit. This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them.
37: GOING BACK TO CALI (FROM “LESS THAN ZERO”) – L.L. COOL J. (31) - Now THIS was back when rap was somewhat tolerable, and not loud and obnoxious! I liked this song, though I preferred his first Top 40 hit "I Need Love".
36: MY GIRL - SUAVE (debut) - The fourth rendition of this song that was first a hit for the Temptations a year before this LA singer was even born. It was a great rendition of the song, updated to fit the late-80s more. That said, I'm somewhat surprised that it did not get any higher than #20 on the charts.
35: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – RICK ASTLEY (25) - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988, up until October, when "It Would Take A Strong, Strong Man" dropped from the chart. That song, BTW, was my favorite of his 1988 songs. This would be my second favorite.
34: SAY IT AGAIN – JERMAINE STEWART (37) - Had this one been released about five to ten years before, it might have gotten higher than #27, as it sounds a little more like something from earlier in the 1980s. Of his two Top 40 hits, this was my favorite.
33: KISS AND TELL (FROM “BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY”) – BRYAN FERRY (35) - Ferry was, of course, the lead singer of the band Roxy Music, famous for songs like "Love Is The Drug" and "More Than This". This was a good song - too bad it didn't get any higher on the charts than #31. In fact, it dropped out of the Top 40 the following week.
32: DREAMING – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (36) - They had a total of four hits on the charts, and this was their second biggest behind "If You Leave". It was pretty much a toss-up between this one and "So In Love" as my favorite song by them.
31: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (40) - When "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was. This was one of very few songs to top the chart for more than two weeks in 1988. How I miss the days when the charts moved fast! There was absolutely no need for a recurrent rule.
30: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (18) - He was definitely a big hit on the Black Singles chart, but he had a few pop crossovers. This was pretty good, but my favorite song from him would be "I'll Give All My Love To You", from early 1991.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: CIRCLE IN THE SAND - BELINDA CARLISLE - This was her fourth and final Top Ten hit. This song was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990.
29: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (32) - Wow, a song by my second cousin! No, seriously, I thought this song was a great one. With such a weak chart move, it looked like this one wasn't going to do very well, but it had a rather persistent chart run. I like this almost the same as “So Good, So Right”.
28: CHECK IT OUT – JOHN COUGAR MELLANCAMP (14) - This was the third and final Top 40 hit from The Lonesome Jubilee, and it was my favorite of the three - a great song indeed!
27: PAMELA - TOTO (31) - This was their second hit with a woman's name. I wasn't a big fan of this song, since, at the time the song was charting, there was someone in my life by that name that I wasn't too fond of. I definitely preferred their other "woman's name" hit (and so did the Pop audience, as that song spent five weeks in the runner-up position, while this song didn't even hit the Top 20).
26: YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (20) - Don't they sound a little like Glass Tiger? When I first heard this song, I knew that Glass Tiger had a new song out and I thought that this was it, but it turned out that it was not. Anyway, I liked this song which is has pretty much fallen into obscurity.
25: I WISH I HAD A GIRL – HENRY LEE SUMMER (28) - Ah, a fellow Hoosier here! I liked this song, but preferred his next single, "Darlin' Danielle Don't". Too bad that song didn't make the Top 40.
24: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (16) - This song narrowly missed the top spot, but the act at #1 was just too strong for him. But he would also eventually hit #1 - in fact, he did with his next hit. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. Interesting story about the endless summer days that materialize in the summer up near the north pole (as there is no such thing as endless summer nights).
23: FISHNET – MORRIS DAY (24) - A song produced by Jimmy Jam Harris & Terry Lewis. It's a catchy song that reminds me a little of "Fake" by Alexander O'Neal (also a Jimmy Jam Harris /Terry Lewis production)
22: TWO OCCASIONS – THE DEELE (27) - This song used to be the "Nighty Night" song for Open House Party with John Garabedian. I liked it, but preferred several songs that Babyface did on his own later on down the line.
21: WAIT – WHITE LION (29) - This was one of two Top Ten hits by this band, and this one was far and away my favorite song of the two ("When The Children Cry" was too maudlin for my tastes).
20: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – FOREIGNER (30) - I usually like their slow songs, but this one was kind of dull (and I read somewhere that Lou Gramm wasn't a fan of this one either - which had something to do with how under-sung this was).
19: OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (11) - The third single and title track of her second album. This was so far my favorite song from the album (though "Only In My Dreams" was a close second), but of course, my favorite was the fourth single, which went all the way to #1 in June.
18: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (26) - I know three songs by them - their two Top 40 hits, as well as their AC hit "Turn Back The Clock". Not sure if I prefer this song or the AC hit (as I like both), but I preferred both over "I Don't Want To Be A Hero". For some reason, that one never did much for me.
17: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (23) - Meh, I preferred "Touch Me", as well as her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You". I never cared much for this one.
16: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – PET SHOP BOYS (21) - Of the four versions that I've heard (of which Casey played a montage on the April 9 show), this one was far and away my favorite. The other versions were so bland (though I've kind of warmed up to Willie Nelson's version over the years). There was something about the techno beat to this song that made it such a great rendition of the song.
15: ROCKET 2 U – THE JETS (7) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one.
14: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (19) - This Aussie band was a two-hit wonder on the charts, as they had two Top 20 hits in 1988. They had peaked at #14 early in the year with "Crazy" and got as high as #7 with this one. They were both great songs, IMO.
13: ONE STEP UP – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (17) - This was a good song. Of course, I've mentioned that this song sounds like something Gordon Lightfoot would sing. It was the third and final Top 40 song from Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love album. In fact, it would be his last Top 40 song for about four years.
12: SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (10) - This song was pretty good, but pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2".
11: MAN IN THE MIRROR – MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - Michael was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had four from his Bad album alone, which was a record at the time. He would secure the record even more with a fifth #1 two months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best.
10: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (13) - This one was mediocre at best. It paled in comparison to her debut hit "Tell It To My Heart", IMO.
9: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (12) - The second of two Springsteen hits on this week's countdown! Of course, Springsteen himself originally recorded this one - wasn't featured on any of his albums, but it was the B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" (as well as a concert favorite). I actually preferred this version of the song, though only slightly - both versions are great, IMO.
8: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (15) - Their first and only #1 hit (though Gloria would log two more #1s billed as a solo artist). I liked this song, but I still prefer a few others from Gloria Estefan, both with the Miami Sound Machine and solo.
LDD: BORN IN THE U.S.A. – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Wow, Springsteen did a hat trick on the show this week! The story was a little depressing, however, as it was from a girl who'd planned to take her aunt to see Bruce Springsteen, but the aunt died before she got the chance
7: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (9) - Interesting how this song fared better on the charts then the original by the Beatles. While the latter peaked at #14 back in 1964, Tiffany's cover did twice as well, getting as high as #7. As for this song - though I tended to like her more mellow hits like "Could've Been" and "All This Time", I liked this one - by far, my favorite of her two mid-sixties remakes (since the other one was way overplayed).
6: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (8) - I don't think I ever got tired of this song. I wasn't sure it was going to be a big hit, due to its weak initial chart performance, but it picked up steam and became their biggest hit ever, a boasting right it would retain for ten more years.
5: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (6) - The Deele had their own hit back at #22 and they produced this one (in fact, they were featured singing the second bridge of this song - and even got their name dropped in the song, which was sort of just there, IMO - I didn't like it or hate it. I did like "Mercedes Boy", though.
4: WISHING WELL – TERENCE TRENT DARBY (5) - Like "Angel", this song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it didn't stop until it went all the way to the top! I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name".
3: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (1) - The spoken part at the beginning was apparently inspired by "Get Off My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones. But it apparently worked, as it made it to #1 - and was R&R's biggest CHR hit of 1988 - and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite of his upbeat hits.
2: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (2) - This song just missed becoming the first song with the word "Devil" in the title to hit #1 (and as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet, has it?) Well, anyway, this was my second favorite INXS song from 1988 (behind "New Sensation") but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason.
1: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (3) - Up until this week, Whitney had been in a tie with Madonna for the most solo number ones by a female, with six apiece. With this song, Whitney pulled into first place all by herself (and those seven number ones were consecutive, to boot!). However, this was the last in that streak, as her next release, "Love Will Save The Day", in fact, barely touched the Top Ten. Of Whitney's seven #1s, this was my favorite, so I'm glad that this song made it all the way to the top!

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - Star Wars Day, 2024

This week's presentation - May 3, 1975

BEER BARREL POLKA – BOBBY VINTON (33) - Sort of interesting how this song debuted at #33 (the week before) and got no higher. As for the song, I was never a big fan of polka, so it didn't really do anything for me.
AMIE – PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (27) - Oddly enough, even though this song moved up the week before, it fell out of the Top 40 the following week. It still gets rather decent airplay, though. It was a good song, though I slightly preferred their 1980 Top Ten hit "Let Me Love You Tonight".
NO NO SONG – RINGO STARR (24) - As I recall, they alternated between this and the flipside, "Snookeroo", throughout its chart run, since the song was charting as a double-sided hit. I preferred the A-side, though the B-Side was good as well).
LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE (23) - This song was the eleventh of a record twelve consecutive one-week number one songs - a record that, to my best of knowledge, still stands today. As for the song, it was a great one, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001!

40: WILDFIRE - MICHAEL MURPHY (debut) - He was mainly a country artist, but he had several Top 40 crossover hits, including this one. This was a great song, right up there with "Carolina In The Pines" and "What's Forever For".
39: SHAKEY GROUND - TEMPTATIONS (37) - This band was definitely on their way out at this point, as this was their last Top 30 hit, but what a career they'd had! A total of 37 Top 40 hits. This one wasn't bad, but was your typical roof-raising R&B, and y'all know how I feel about that kind of music.
38: BAD LUCK - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (debut) - Not a fan of this one. My favorite from them would probably be "The Love I Lost".
37: RAINY DAY PEOPLE - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (debut) - This was the only single released from Cold On The Shoulder, his only Top Ten album. Since my Mom played his records all the time when I was a little one, I'm very familiar with all of the songs on that particular album and thought they were all good. Though this song wasn't the best (has sort of a rainy day sound to it, to match its title), it's still a good one.
36: ONLY WOMEN - ALICE COOPER (debut) - Surprised that this song missed the Top Ten, seeing that it hit the Top Five on R&R. Anyway, as we all know, I prefer his ballads over his hard rockers, and this was my favorite of the four slow songs that I've heard from him.
35: DON'T TELL ME GOODNIGHT - LOBO (debut) - His heyday was definitely in the early-70s, when he had three Top Ten hits up to early 1973. After that, though he had five more Top 40 hits, none of them could manage to break into the Top 20. This one peaked at #27 two week later. It was pretty good, but nothing impressive.
34: I'M NOT LISA - JESSE COLTER (39) - MAJOR CHEESEFEST!! That is all.
33: WHEN WILL I BE LOVED - LINDA RONSTADT (38) - It looked like she might have two #1 songs in a row, but alas, this song just barely missed. This was a great one, and was in a horse race with "Heat Wave" as my favorite of her 1975 hits.
32: CUT THE CAKE - AVERAGE WHITE BAND (36) - This band either hit the Top Ten or missed the Top 30 entirely with their five hits. This was one of their two Top Ten hits - it's pretty much "Pick Up The Pieces" with lyrics.
31: THE IMMIGRANT - NEIL SEDAKA (35) - Definitely one of his most underrated hits ever! Lulu apparently thought so as well, as her hit from six years later "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)" was a dead ringer for that song (in the choruses).
30: SHAVING CREAM - BENNY BELL (30) - LOL! Funny song! You could tell that it was recorded many years before - sounded quite out of place for 1975.
29: YOUNG AMERICANS - DAVID BOWIE (29) - This one kinda came and went - peaked a spot higher and spent only four weeks in the Top 40. No matter; his next Top 40 hit would fare much better, hitting #1 during late summer. This song was OK, though I wasn't generally a huge fan.
28: SISTER GOLDEN HAIR - AMERICA (32) - This song was the week's highest debut and would eventually become their second #1 song on the Hot 100. This was my favorite of the two (though "A Horse With No Name" was also a great one).
27: LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT - MAJOR HARRIS (31) - A former member of the Delfonics, he was a one-hit wonder as a solo artist. This was a good song - your typical mid-70s slow jam.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAGIC - PILOT - Here's a true one-hit wonder. I liked this song - they sort of reminded me of ELO (who themselves hit the Top 40 with a "magic" song the following year).
26: HIJACK - HERBIE MANN (34) - A word that could get you in trouble if you say it on a plane, even if you're greeting your friend whose name happens to be Jack. But seriously, this song was just so/so.
25: AUTOBAHN - KRAFTWORK (26) - The sole Top 40 hit for this German synthesizer band. It was a very interesting sounding song, I must say.
24: BAD TIME - GRAND FUNK (28) - They seemed to be on a roll, with six Top 20 hits in a row, this one peaking at #4, but after this, they would never again hit the Top 40. Although I liked all four of their Top Tens, this would likely be my favorite.
23: SHOESHINE BOY - EDDIE KENDRICKS (25) - Though not as successful as his former band the Temptations, he did have a decent solo career (and he was indeed outdoing his old band this week). Anyway, this was a pretty good song, though nothing exceptional.
22: WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU - BARRY WHITE (9) - I wasn't generally a big fan of his. This song was not bad, but it sounded quite a lot like his 1974 #1 "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe".
21: SUPERNATURAL THING PART 1 - BEN E. KING (5) - One of only two AT40 era songs that King had. This was so/so, but I preferred the other song.
20: STAND BY ME - JOHN LENNON (20) - Wow - right above Ben E. King is a cover of said other song from him. This was actually one of several Top 40 covers of the Ben E. King classic. Besides this and the original, Spyder Turner charted with it in 1967, and Mickey Gilley's version for the Urban Cowboy soundtrack hit in 1980 (which would be my favorite of the bunch). This one was also pretty good IMO.
19: EMMA - HOT CHOCOLATE (8) - Though I'm not a huge Hot Chocolate fan, I actually thought this one was really good.
18: L-O-V-E (LOVE) - AL GREEN (13) - Al Green had quite a few chart hits during the early 1970s, including his hit before this one, "Sha La La (Makes Me Happy", which hit the Top Ten in 1974. This would be his final Top 20 hit until his comeback in late 1988, when he charted with his duet with Annie Lennox, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart". This song was pretty good, though I'm not generally a huge fan of his.
17: LOVIN' YOU - MINNIE RIPERTON (4) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!! Well, OK, maybe it's not that bad, but it's just so CHEESY!! This song was the last of a record twelve consecutive one-week number one songs - a record that, to my best of knowledge, still stands today.
16: BERTHA BUTT BOOGIE - JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH (16) - Jimmy Castor (and his Bunch) generally did novelty songs (as all four that made the Hot 100 were all classified as such). This song was OK, but a little goofy.
15: THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY - JOHN DENVER (22) - This song was definitely on its way to the top! No surprise there, however, as Denver was all over the charts in 1975! This was one of two #1 songs he had that year. It was a great one; very lively and fun!
14: KILLER QUEEN - QUEEN (18) - This was their breakthrough smash. It didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it came close. 10cc's 1977 hit "The Things We Do For Love" reminds me a lot of this song. Both are great songs, IMO
OPTIONAL EXTRA: OLD DAYS - CHICAGO - Not sure what happened with this song - it made a spectacular debut in the Top 40 the following week, at #17, and climbed to #5, where it peaked. The following week, it would drop to #17 then off, spending only seven weeks on the chart. Too bad, as it was a great song, IMO.
13: IT'S A MIRACLE - BARRY MANILOW (17) - For the longest time, I thought "Copacabana" was Manilow's first upbeat song. I had no idea that he had any of those from so early in his career but, in fact, he upped the tempo for his second hit - presumably to show everyone that he could rock out just as well as he could chill out. Of course, he generally went with slow songs. Anyway, I think it goes without saying that I do not remember this song from its chart run. It was a good one, but my favorite of his 1975 hits was his next release, "Could It Be Magic".
12: HOW LONG - ACE (19) - The first of three bands to hit the Top 40 with Paul Carrack on lead vocals (well, technically, it would be two, as he had left Squeeze by the time they had their first Top 40 hit). Anyway, this was Ace's only big hit, but what a great one it was - one of my favorite songs involving Mr. Carrack!
11: I DON'T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE - PAUL ANKA (15) - Most of his mid-70s hits tend to be on the cheesy side. This one is no exception, but it's still a good song nonetheless.
10: ONLY YESTERDAY - CARPENTERS (21) - They had hit #1 earlier in the year with their second chart topper, a cover of the Marvelette's classic "Please Mr. Postman", and looked like they might have another one, especially with its hefty leap this week, but this one didn't quite make it. It did peak at #4, which is great also. Anyway, of their three 1975 hits, this one was my favorite by a fair margin.
9: I CAN DANCE - LEO SAYER (12) - This was his first of a handful of chart hits. It did well, peaking at #9, and the best was yet to come - two years later, he'd have two #1 hits as well as a Top 20. This song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him, including two of said 1977 hits.
8: WALKIN' IN RHYTHM - BLACKBIRDS (10) - I heard this song earlier this week at Walgreen's. Anyway, quite an interesting story about Casey Kasem once played in a high school band with Blackbyrd founder Donald Byrd, until he got a little too creative with his drumwork for the bandleader's liking. This was one of two Top 40 hits for the Blackbyrds. I vaguely remember the other one, "Happy Music", but I seem to remember that I preferred this one.
7: SHININ' STAR - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (11) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first and only #1 hit. A great song indeed, though I preferred "That's The Way Of The World", from the same year, meaning that 1975 was definitely one of their best years, IMO.
6: JACKIE BLUE - OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS (14) - This group from Springfield, MO had charted the previous spring with the #25 hit "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" and returned a year later with a song that fared quite a lot better, peaking at #3. Of their two Top 40 hits, this is by far my favorite - a great one that I remember quite well (it was played as a recurrent for several years after it charted).
5: CHEVY VAN - SAMMY JOHNS (6) - He may have had only one big hit, but what a song it was! One of my favorite songs of the entire year! Glad that they played the song intact, as they sometimes edited it - which was sort of pointless, as it's a rather short song in the first place (clocks in at a little less than three minutes). With the second verse and chorus, its playing time wouldn't be much more than two minutes, if that.
4: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM - ELTON JOHN (2) - Here is the song that put an end to the revolving door of one-week #1 hits, by spending two weeks on top - just like his last song, whose second week at #1 was the week before said revolving door began. This song was OK, but it was quite overplayed (and still pops up regularly on oldies stations). I preferred many other hits from him, including many of his 1975 chart hits.
3: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS - FREDDIE FENDER (7) - Meh, not one of the best hits of the year at all. It's hard to believe that this song made it to #1, as dated as it sounds.
2: HEY, WON'T YOU PLAY, ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG - B.J.THOMAS (1) - This song may have spent a single week on top, but it was by no means the beginning of another long streak (since the song that bumped it out would spend three weeks up there). Anyway, this was one of two #1 songs for Mr. Thomas. It's pretty good, but I preferred the other one, which topped the chart five years before. My favorite song by him of all time would be "Hooked On A Feeling".
1: HE DON'T LOVE YOU LIKE I DO - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (3) - Indeed, 1975 was chock full of one-week #1 songs, but this song was an exception to the rule, as it was one of only five songs during the year to spend at least three weeks up there. The song was not bad, but definitely not their best.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - Star Wars Day, 2024

This week's presentation - May 5, 1979

Droppers:
I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (33) - She was in the midst of her most successful chart era, with the first of four Top 20 hits during that time. It was a great song - not sure which of her 1979 hits I prefer.
LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (26) - One of my favorite songs in the world at the time, and it still sounds great today! Glad that this song hit the Top Ten, indeed!
LIVIN' IT UP (FRIDAY NIGHT) - BELL & JAMES (22) - An ideal song for the weekend!

LW#3: KNOCK ON WOOD – AMII STEWART
LW#2: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB
LW#1: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE
40: I WHO HAVE NOTHING – SYLVESTER (debut) - Well, the third time wasn't exactly the charm for this remake, as the other two versions of this hit the Top 30 but this one barely made the Top 40, spending two weeks in the anchor position. I'm not sure if I've heard any of the other versions of this, so I can't say which one I prefer. This one was so/so, but nothing exceptional.
39: OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL – BOB SEGER (debut) - This song became more well-known after it was featured in Risky Business during Tom Cruise's famous dance in his skivvies. I was never a big fan of the song, though.
38: GET USED TO IT – ROGER VOUDOURIS (40) - The only Top 40 hit from this man who, sadly, is no longer with us. It was a great song!
LDD: EVERYTHING I OWN - BREAD - This song definitely fit the dedication. It was to a guy who the author married when she was a mere six years old. Of course, it was a mock wedding, but, based on how many people attended, it might as well have been a real one, LOL!
37: DON’T YOU WRITE HER OFF – McGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN (39) - The only Top 40 hit by the "new Byrds". The song was pretty good, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
36: SWEET LUI LOUISE - IRONHORSE (37) - They were pretty much a Bachman-Turner Overdrive spinoff. Of course, they were nowhere near as successful, as this was their only Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of BTO's Top 40 hits.
35: DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - Even though I preferred "A Little More Love", this was also a great song!
34: ROLLER – APRIL WINE (34) - The second of three Top 40 hits here in the States from this Canadian band. It was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Just Between You And Me", which would chart two years later.
33: SUCH A WOMAN - TYCOON (38) - The only Top 40 hit for this sextet from New York. See my second statement in my comment for #37.
ARCHIVES: TOP OF THE WORLD – THE CARPENTERS - This song sounded a little like a kiddie song, but it was passable. Still, not their best song by any means.
32: ROXANNE – THE POLICE (32) - Meh, I don't really care for their 70s hit, which were more rock-based than their later hits. I actually prefer "Every Breath You Take" over this one, which says a lot.
31: HOT NUMBER - FOXY (35) - As we all know, I'm not a big disco fan, but this one was actually pretty good.
30: HAPPINESS – THE POINTER SISTERS (31) - Interesting story about how their career was launched after a very rough start. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred their song from earlier in the year.
29: CRAZY LOVE – THE ALLMAN BROTHERS (30) - This song featured their usual southern rock sound. It was a pretty good song.
28: SULTANS OF SWING – DIRE STRAITS (15) - Their heyday was definitely the mid-80s, but their first hit was actually a few years earlier. Of their charted hits, this would be my favorite.
27: TRAGEDY – THE BEE GEES (13) - They were still on a hot streak with number one songs. This was one of them, and definitely one of their best, IMO!
26: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST – RANDY VANWARMER (28) - This one always reminded me of when my former gf and I broke up. Speaking of which, I saw her today for the first time in God knows how long, and we actually had a conversation - now the last time THAT happened was before we broke up, over eight years ago. Seems longer than that. But I digress - now on with the countdown...
25: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY – BAD COMPANY (27) - I remember hearing this one on the jukebox near the concession stands at the beach, where I went nearly everyday back in the summer of 1979. It's not bad, but I prefer a few others from them.
24: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (36) - This was the biggest mover on the entire countdown, yet I didn't really start hearing it on the radio until about a month later (since that's when WLS started playing it). When I first heard it, it quickly became my favorite song in the world, and stayed that way for a long time. I still like it, but prefer a few others from them.
23: RENEGADE - STYX (25) - Another song I remember hearing on the radio a lot back in the day (since Styx is from Chicago, WLS tended to play out a lot of their hits). It was a good, summertime sounding song, but definitely not their best.
ARCHIVES: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL – CHARLIE RICH - EWWW, GEEZER!! No, seriously, the song wasn't that bad, but I'll never forgive it for locking Elton John out of the top spot.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE - One of the most overplayed songs from the summer of 1979, but still a pretty good song IMO.
22: DISCO NIGHTS – G.Q. (24) - One of many faceless disco hits on the countdown this week. It wasn't too bad
21: I GOT MY MIND MADE UP – INSTANT FUNK (21) - Another faceless disco song, and a quite repetitive one at that. Not a big fan.
20: HOT STUFF – DONNA SUMMER (29) - A disco hat trick here, only this one was far from being faceless; Donna Summer was a very familiar face, especially in 1979. This was one of the biggest disco classics ever! It was a good one and has held up quite well despite overplay.
EXTRA: EVE OF DESTRUCTION – BARRY McGuire - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of protest songs...
19: PRECIOUS LOVE – BOB WELCH (19) - Though I preferred Welch's two Top 20 hits from the year before, this was a good one as well.
18: LOVE BALLAD – GEORGE BENSON (18) - We can add this and "Lady Love Me" to the recently revived thread about songs by the same artist that sound alike. It was a good one, though not quite his best.
17: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT – THE BEE GEES (23) - This would stretch the Bee Gees #1 hit streak to six, although there has been talk about there being payola involved in that, but regardless, it was a pretty good song, though not my favorite song from them.
16: BLOW AWAY – GEORGE HARRISON (17) - The only hit single from Harrison's self-titled 1979 album (that went anywhere, anyway). It was a great song IMO and quite underrated (though it did hit the Top Ten in R&R).
15: LOVE TAKES TIME - ORLEANS (20) - Another somewhat underrated song - after two Top Ten hits earlier in the decade, this one just barely missed, peaking at #11.
14: LOVE IS THE ANSWER – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (16) - Sadly, this was their final Top 40 hit. Too bad, as all of their hits were great IMO, this one included. I always thought the message in this song was inspirational, so it was no surprise when Christian singer Cindy Morgan did a (great!) cover of this song about twenty years later.
13/LDD: I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR (5) - Another great disco classic, and one that got a lot of mileage on the charts. This song fit the dedication, though it wasn't in the context of an abusive relationship, but rather from the shame of a young girl who chased around a guy who, in actuality, didn't want to have anything to do with her.
ARCHIVES: TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE - This one has gotten a "No. Just no" in the past, but I guess it's not that bad - it's just far from being my favorite Jim Croce song.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO - Two other songs to add to said songs by the same artist that sound alike thread - this and "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)". Both are great songs, and I'm unsure which if the two I prefer.
12: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) – THE JACKSONS (14) - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of this one. As I've mentioned before, their earlier material was their best IMO.
11: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (7) - This was their biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, as it is my all-time favorite from them!
10: HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER – SISTER SLEDGE (11) - A very jiggy song! Not sure if I prefer this or "We Are Family".
9: TAKE ME HOME - CHER (12) - I generally preferred her 90s hits, but this one was a great one as well!
8: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (6) - My fascination for this song has dimmed somewhat over the years. I still like it, though.
7: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (8) - I'm not generally a big fan of them, but I actually liked this song.
6: IN THE NAVY – THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (10) - See my opinion for song #7, because it fits this song as well.
5: STUMBLIN’ IN – SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (6) - Good song, though rather faceless.
4: KNOCK ON WOOD – AMII STEWART (3) - As a superstitious person, I find myself doing this quite a lot. As for the song, however, I'm not a big fan.
3: MUSIC BOX DANCER – FRANK MILLS (4) - This song appeared to have peaked at #4 the week before, but it managed to climb a spot higher. After this, the song free-fell down the chart. It was one of my favorite instrumental songs of all-time and the song title definitely fit - it indeed sounded like a music box set to dance music.
2: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (1) - The first of four #1 songs by them. I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture", but I liked this and "The Tide Is High" about the same.
1: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB (2) - Casey mentioned how this song made it to the top in just its eighth week. It would spend three more weeks on top, and deservedly so, as it was a great song!

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - Star Wars Day, 2024

This week's presentation - May 5, 1984

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO - BONNIE TYLER (34) - This song pretty much rode on the coattails of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", as well as being from the soundtrack of a box office smash - otherwise, this probably would not have made the Top 40. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred her two other Top 40 hits.
GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER (33) - The song that started it out for this unusual girl from New York dropped out as her second hit was roaring up the chart, en route to #1. Of those two songs, I preferred this one.
EAT IT - "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC (32) - Oddly enough, this was his only Top 40 hit (well, pre-Soundscan, that is). Then again, all of his songs were novelty songs, which tend to come and go real quick. This one just happened to hit the Top 40 before it got old. I liked this song, as well as many of his other ones.
JUMP - VAN HALEN (23) - Frankly, this was no huge loss, as it sounded more like a sporting event intro than a song. I preferred their other two 1984 hits, as well as many of their Van Hagar era hits.

LW#1: AGAINST ALL ODDS - PHIL COLLINS
40: CATCH ME I'M FALLING - REAL LIFE (debut) - The second Top 40 hit for this Australian group. Their first hit, "Send Me An Angel" was updated and re-released five years later and had a second chart run. I heard somewhere that they tried to resurrect this song as well, but if they did, it didn't go anywhere. Anyway, this was a pretty good song, but I preferred the first one.
39: RUN, RUNAWAY - SLADE (debut) - Another two-hit wonder, whose only two (different) hits were also during 1984. This is definitely my favorite of the two songs!
38: HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN - EURYTHMICS (18) - As their new hit "Who's That Girl" was on its way up the chart, this one takes a tremendous drop. I thought this was a pretty good song - I preferred it over the new one by a fairly wide margin.
37: YOU CAN'T GET WHAT YOU WANT ('TIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT) - JOE JACKSON (debut) - Possibly THE longest song title of 1984! Anyway, this song was a good one, but I personally preferred "Is She Really Goin' Out With Him" and "Breakin' Us In Two".
36: GIRLS - DWIGHT TWILLEY (20) - I liked this song, though it wasn't quite as good as the solo hit from his bandmate Phil Seymour.
35: ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE - SCORPIONS (38) - The first Top 40 hit from the city in Germany where the hamburger originated, though I had heard their music before - two years before, they had a song that got heavy airplay on Chicago station WLS, called "No One Like You". I liked this song, but slightly preferred their two 1991 hits.
34: IT'S MY LIFE - TALK TALK (39) - This song wasn't that big of a hit (didn't even crack the Top 30), but it gets a significant amount of recurrent airplay, mainly due to No Doubt's cover from about 20 years later. I prefer the remake, but the original's not bad either.
33: SELF CONTROL - LAURA BRANIGAN (debut) - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her.
32: THE HEART OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (40) - This song was just the opposite of the above one - I liked it a lot at first, but overplay sort of did it in. It is my least favorite release from Sports. Don't get me wrong; I don't hate the song - it's just OK.
31: LEAVE IT - YES (24) - Mainly an album rock group, they did have a handful of Top 40 hits. I preferred this over "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" (since the latter was quite overplayed).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO - Based on the way that this song, their first song from the Chicago 17 album, peaked at #16, it looked like it might not be a very big sales album, but the next two hits proved that wrong, as they both hit the Top Five - in fact, on the R&R chart, they were both #1s. I preferred those two songs, (especially "Hard Habit To Break") but this was a good one as well.
30: ADULT EDUCATION - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (15) - One of two new hits from their first Greatest Hits album. I liked both it and "Say It Isn't So", but still, I preferred many other songs from them.
29: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (35) - Her first of many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO.
28: SHOW ME - THE PRETENDERS (29) - I liked most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. Possibly my third favorite, behind "Back On The Chain Gang" and "Brass In Pocket".
27: WHITE HORSE - LAID BACK (37) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all.
26: THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN (36) - To tell the truth, this one wasn't a whole lot better either. Definitely one of my least favorite songs from them.
25: NO MORE WORDS - BERLIN (28) - Three mediocre songs in a row? That's not good! Actually, this song's not that bad, but I preferred "Take My Breath Away".
24: SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME - ROCKWELL (11) - Finally, a good song. This one features Michael Jackson on background vocals (as well as brother Jermaine Jackson).
23: I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN (31) - As stated earlier, I preferred this song over their song that drops off the chart this week. Has sort of an early-80s classic rock feel to it.
22: A FINE FINE DAY - TONY CAREY (25) - The first of two songs that this man charted with in 1984. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs of 1984 (and possibly my favorite song on the chart this week).
LDD: DON'T CRY - ASIA - Wow, what a LDD! It was from half of a set of fraternal twins who had recently found out that they had another set of twin siblings, adopted away shortly after birth. They were eventually united with them and got to know one another. The song, as the author said, fit the dedication like a glove, since they heard it on the radio a lot around the time they met and, as the lyrics say, "Don't Cry, now that I've found you".
21: DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR (26) - This one wasn't too bad, but I preferred "The Second Time Around" and "Dead Giveaway".
20: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER (30) - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. They butchered this song like usual, but this time, they cut out the second verse and left the guitar solo, which was my favorite part of the song, intact.
19: AUTOMATIC - THE POINTER SISTERS (9) - When I was listening to the story going into this song, I thought that maybe I had caught part of this show earlier in the weekend. But, as it turns out, they told the same story on the 1979 show - about how their career began. What a coincidence!
18: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (22) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances).
17: THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL (21) - Interesting that all the voices in this song are Billy Joel - I always thought he had several singers backing him up. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as the An Innocent Man album as a whole, due to its wide variety of music styles.
16: THE AUTHORITY SONG - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (19) - John's version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)". A great, fun song indeed!
15: DONT ANSWER ME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (16) - They definitely seemed to have the most chart success with Eric Woolfson on lead vocals. I liked this song, but I preferred a few of their other hits.
14: TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER (27) - This was Cyndi's aforementioned second hit, which definitely wasn't quite as good as the first, IMO. This one was just too depressing.
13: TONIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (14) - Casey mentioned how they were the most successful R&B act on the Pop chart so far in the 1980s. This song was pretty good, but I preferred other hits from them, such as "Joanna" and their best one ever, "Too Hot".
12: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S (13) - I like all of their songs (except "We Got The Beat") about the same. They're all good ones!
11: OH, SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY (17) - This was a great song (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything)
10: MISS ME BLIND - CULTURE CLUB (5) - This, unfortunately, was their last Top Ten hit. It was a good one, but their musical quality was indeed starting to decline at this point.
9: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS (12) - I hated this song when it was on the chart, due to all the overplay, but now, it's good to hear it every once in awhile instead of everytime I turn on the radio.
8: THEY DON'T KNOW - TRACEY ULLMAN (8) - Casey mentioned how Tracey was the first artist whose name began with the letter U to hit the Top Ten. She has since been joined by UB40, USA For Africa, and U2, among others. Anyway, I liked this song.
7: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS (7) - This song was good, but their next hit was better - had that great summertime sound.
6: TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - JULIO IGLESIAS AND WILLIE NELSON (10) - A true guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, due to the cheese factor, as well as the fact that Julio wasn't very good at singing English.
LDD: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU - BARRY MANILOW - Great song! But kind of odd that a guy who works at an auto parts store was a big Barry Manilow fan.
5: LOVE SOMEBODY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (6) - Another great song! Hard to believe that this would be his last Top Ten hit.
4: FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS (3) - Though I prefer his other Footloose song, this one's pretty good, too. An 80s mix show essential!
3: HOLD ME NOW - THOMPSON TWINS (4) - It's not often that my favorite song by an artist is also their biggest, but such is the case with this song. A great song indeed!
2: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (2) - This song was gearing up to hit the top spot the following week, and deservedly so, as its one of his all-time best!
1: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (1) - Another song worthy of hitting the top, as it's one of Phil's best songs ever! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the top song of 1984, according to Radio & Records

[mrjukebox]

Slade did the original version of "Cum On Feel The Noize" which was a top five hit for Quiet Riot in 1983.

[mrjukebox]

"Shaving Cream" was recorded back in 1946-Noted radio host/musicologist Barry Hansen alias Dr.Demento came across it at a thrift shop in Los Angeles-He played it on his local show & the response was overwhelming-Subsequently,Vanguard Records,which was primarily a folk music label,purchased the master & the rest as they say is history.

[mrjukebox]

"The Immigrant" was written about former Beatle John Lennon who was fighting deportation at the time-It's definitely underrated.

[mrjukebox]

Hervard,The Ozark Mountain Daredevils were from Springfield,MO not Springville as you stated in your critique of "Jackie Blue".

[mrjukebox]

The Temptations resurfaced in 1991 when they provided background vocals on "The Motown Song" by Rod Stewart.

[mrjukebox]

"Hot Number" by Foxy is one of the featured songs from this week's B show 5/5/79-Before playing that song,Casey mentioned a singer from the 1940's named Ish Kabibble-Casey said he was a member of Spike Jones' band The City Slickers-That's wrong-Kabibble was a member of Kay Kyser's band.

[mrjukebox]

"Oh,Sherrie" was written about Sherrie Swofford,who was Steve Perry's girlfriend at the time.

[chrislc]

May 5, 2024 16:08:43 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

"Hot Number" by Foxy is one of the featured songs from this week's B show 5/5/79-Before playing that song,Casey mentioned a singer from the 1940's named Ish Kabibble-Casey said he was a member of Spike Jones' band The City Slickers-That's wrong-Kabibble was a member of Kay Kyser's band.

Per Wikipedia

Kyser disbanded the orchestra during the summer of 1947 but resurrected it for a television series in October 1949. During the hiatus Spike Jones hired Bogue to appear as Ish Kabibble in Jones's zany band the City Slickers. Bogue didn't care for the experience, and was with the Jones band only briefly.

I remember my parents mentioning Ish Kabibble. I had no idea what they were talking about, or that this was a person. I just thought it was one of those old people things. I wish I had been more interested and curious. I miss them.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - May 11, 2024

This week's presentation - May 7, 1977

40: UNDERCOVER ANGEL – ALAN O’DAY (debut) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write many other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I think it's a great one! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO.
39: LOVE’S GROWN DEEP – KENNY NOLAN (debut) - One of several "two-hit wonders" on the countdown this week. Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind.
38: BACK IN THE SADDLE - AEROSMITH (debut) - The third and final single from their 1976 album Rocks. The song was OK, but far from being their best. Apparently, the general Top 40 audience agreed, as this was all the further this song managed to climb.
37: MARGARITAVILLE – JIMMY BUFFETT (debut) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins".
36: CINDERELLA - FIREFALL (38) - Their second hit certainly didn't measure up to their debut single, as the song only got two spots higher. It was a good one, but doesn't hold a candle to said debut single "You Are The Woman" or "Just Remember I Love You".
35: SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO – THE JACKSONS (debut) - Their second of two Top 40 hits for the band in 1977, and my favorite of the three, although I preferred most of their earlier songs, when they were known as The Jackson 5.
34: MY SWEET LADY – JOHN DENVER (39) - I've mentioned many times that my Mom listened to John Denver's music all the time back when I was little. By this point, she didn't listen quite as much, so I'm not quite as familiar with this song as I am others, but nevertheless, it was a great one. Too bad it only got as high as #32, but Denver had already had his day in the sun at Top 40 radio, but he continued to do well at AC radio, where this song hit the Top 20.
33: CHERRY BABY - STARZ (35) - Wow, what a day that lead singer Michael Lee Smith had! Being evicted, hijacked and robbed (and something else that escapes my memory) all in one day! Well, anyway, this song is not a remake of Neil Diamond's song about western movies. This one is sort of MOR music with a little edge to it. It was a good song.
32: UPTOWN FESTIVAL - SHALAMAR (33) - I can't help myself loving this song and getting uptight while going to a go-go, where hopefully, they'll play this song. But seriously, I thought this song was neat - five classic Motown songs woven into a medley.
31: LOVE THEME FROM “A STAR IS BORN” – BARBRA STREISAND (17) - This was definitely one of the biggest hits so far this year, since it was #1 for three weeks. But Casey predicted it to be the top song of 1977 a little prematurely, since, for one, he obviously forgot that at least part of the run of "Tonight's The Night" would figure in, plus there were seven more months in the year, six of which were used for the chart year, and a lot can change in that span of time. And that is exactly what happened - while it's true that there was a quick turnover of #1 hits in the first few weeks of 1977, such was not the case with the latter half of the year, when long stays at #1 became the norm. The song did not do too badly, however coming in at #4 for 1977. Anyway, this is a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know hate this song. Not me!
30: RICH GIRL – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (18) - The first of many #1 hits from them, and one of their best. This is one of many songs from 1977 that I remember from when it was on the charts.
29: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM “ROCKY”) – BILL CONTI (debut) - One of four different versions of the song to hit the Hot 100 in 1977, showing just how popular the Rocky movie was. This would be by far the most successful of the four versions, going all the way to #1 in July.
28: WHODUNIT - TAVARES (32) - They seemed to chart sporadically throughout the 70s. I like a few of their songs, but this wasn't one of them (too repetitive).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAINSTREET - BOB SEGER - His second release from "Night Moves" and my favorite of the two. This one would debut on the chart next week and its initial chart action seemed promising, but it hit a brick wall before long, peaking at #24 and falling out of the Top 40 the week after that. Too bad, as it was such a great song! At least it still gets occasional airplay on oldies stations.
27: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG – MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (30) - One of a handful of "two-hit wonders" on this week's chart, and this is by far their best known of the two hits - and my favorite as well (though I seem to remember that "Fire On The Mountain" was pretty good as well).
26: DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC (36) - The biggest single from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay. It's still a pretty good one, though.
25: DANCING MAN - Q (26) - Dancing Queen's partner, perhaps? But seriously, this band shares the record for the shortest act title with M (only the latter fared better on the chart, since "Pop Muzik" hit #1 while this was all the further this song got. This song was OK, but nothing exceptional.
24: AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN) – JOE TEX (25) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all.
23: TRYING TO LOVE TWO – WILLIAM BELL (10) - At least two songs about infidelity on this week's chart, the other one coming up soon. I preferred this one - the other one is somewhat of a cure for insomnia.
22: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (25) - This was indeed the first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band!
21: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (23) - Here is said other infidelity song on this week's chart. This may have been their only hit, but it sure got a lot of mileage on the charts, practically reaching the 20-week mark. I used to like it a little, but not so much anymore.
20: LONELY BOY – ANDREW GOLD (22) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other one, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, though his other one was great as well.
19: HELLO STRANGER – YVONNE ELLIMAN (24) - The second of five hits for her, and the second biggest, behind "If I Can't Have You". I prefer the latter by a fair margin.
18: CALLING DR. LOVE - KISS (20) - 1977 was definitely their heyday, since that was when they had the most hits. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred their two Top Ten hits.
17: LUCILLE – KENNY ROGERS (21) - 400 children and crap in the field? Oh wait, that's something else... Anyway, this was pretty good, but I prefer many others from him.
16: DON’T GIVE UP ON US – DAVID SOUL (6) - The only Top 40 single for Hutch. It's a pretty cheesy song, but not bad.
15: YOUR LOVE – MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR. (16) - The second of their two charted duets. Too bad this wasn't as successful as "You Don't Have To Be A Star", as I preferred this song.
14: GOT TO GIVE IT UP PART 1 – MARVIN GAYE (29) - I have learned to like this song a little better than I had before, but still, it is not my favorite song from him (and I stand by my opinion that the song's soundalike, "Blurred Lines" is the worst #1 song of the 2010s).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JET AIRLINER - STEVE MILLER BAND - The second of his/their four Top 40 hits during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits.
13: CAN’T STOP DANCING – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (14) - Well I must say that this one's better than their last hit before this one! Still, nothing exceptional.
12: LIDO SHUFFLE – BOZ SCAGGS (13) - Definitely one of the hits that I associate with the spring of 1977 (and the station that I listened to played it well into the summmer as well). My favorite of his hits!
11: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (15) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later.
10: I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU – ROSE ROYCE (11) - Their first hit was an upbeat dance number and for the second song, they went with a ballad. It was pretty much your typical 70s slow jam. I preferred "Car Wash".
9: COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – CLIMAX BLUES BAND (10) - Another two-hit wonder. Of course, we all know that I preferred their other hit, from four years later, but this one was good as well.
8: I’VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND – NATALIE COLE (5) - This was her biggest hit ever, peaking at #5 and spending 14 weeks on the chart. It was indeed a good one, though I preferred several others from her.
7: SO IN TO YOU – ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (7) - They had a handful of Top 40 hits and I thought most of them were great, like this one!
6: RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT – JENNIFER WARNES (8) - This song was written by Peter McCann who himself was on his way up the chart with his own hit "Do You Wanna Make Love". I preferred this song - it wasn't quite as cheesy.
5: DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY – THELMA HOUSTON (3) - No relation to Whitney, to my best of knowledge. This was her only big hit, but it was definitely a long-standing one. I liked it, but I preferred the underrated cover by the Communards from ten years later. Glad that they had the song on the jukebox at the local arcade. I played it practically everytime I went there.
4: SIR DUKE – STEVIE WONDER (5) - In this song, which was really burning up the charts, Stevie dropped several names in this song, all of musical pioneers that time did not allow us to forget, including the king of all, Duke Ellington, to whom, of course, the title referred. Although I prefer several other songs by Mr. Wonder, this was a great one nonetheless.
3: SOUTHERN NIGHTS – GLEN CAMPBELL (1) - Campbell had many Top 40 hits, and two of those went all the way to #1, including this one. I like it, but preferred his other #1 hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" from two years before.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE - PETER MCCANN
2: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER (4) - One of three Top 20 hits that Leo charted with during the year. It was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred the other two songs, which bookended this one.
1: HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES (2) - One of their biggest hits, as well as one they're most famous for. It's one of my favorites from them as well. Glad that they played the full version of the song instead of cutting out the first chorus and second verse like it seems that they usually did.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - May 11, 2024

This week's presentation - May 12, 1985

Droppers:

MATERIAL GIRL (37) - Great song, but I preferred her other song on the chart this week - the one up in the Top Ten that is. Madonna came very close to having three hits in the countdown the week before, as “Angel”, one of this week's debuts, was at #41 that week. She did, however, have three hits on the Radio & Records chart, since “Angel” had hit the Top 40 and this song was still holding on - also at #37, if I recall correctly.
VOX HUMANA - KENNY LOGGINS (29) - This one was a little weird. I can see why it tanked so fast. I prefer many others from him, such as the follow-up "Forever", which was a one-week wonder later that summer (and hit the Top Five on the AC chart).
FOREVER MAN - ERIC CLAPTON (26) - This song was a #1 Album Rock hit, but here on the Top 40 chart, the song only got up to #26. It was a pretty good song - one I remember hearing from time to time during the spring of 1985.
MISSING YOU - DIANA ROSS (23) - The first of two tributes to Marvin Gaye, the biggest solo artist of that era to chart during the spring of 1985. It was my favorite of the two - and coming up as a LDD on this show.

40: WOULD I LIE TO YOU – THE EURYTHMICS (debut) - The first of two Top Ten hits with this title. I preferred the one by Charles & Eddie, which charted seven years later. This song was also a good song - one of many that takes me back to the summer of 1985. Though we already know all too well that my favorite song from them was the follow-up to this song.
39: SUSSUDIO – PHIL COLLINS (debut) - This song debuted on the entire Hot 100 here at #39, so it's no surprise that this song also went to #1, like his first hit from No Jacket Required. This, however, was definitely my least favorite of the singles from that album - was a little too gimmicky, IMO, as well as overplayed.
38: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR (debut) - This was their biggest hit that wasn't associated with any of the Rocky movies. It was a great song - one that became somewhat popular in the LDD department.
37: INVISIBLE – ALISON MOYET (39) - A one hit wonder, and a former member of Yaz (who never had a Top 40 hit). Her voice reminds me of Cher.
36: NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL (40) - Of course we all know that this guy was the lead singer of Kajagoogoo, whose only hit "Too Shy" I think we know all too well I hate with a passion. This one, on the other hand, was a great song!
35: LOST IN LOVE – NEW EDITION (36) - This one never hit the R&R chart, but, even though I wasn't yet listening to American Top 40, I do vaguely remember hearing this song back in the day. Around that time, I had a dream about spending the day with a girl from my class that I had a crush on (who ended up not wanting to have anything to do with me, lol), and I was writing a story based on the dream. This song sort of brings back those puppy love feelings, so I must have heard it sometime - probably on B96, which was beginning to play more urban-based music. Anyway, this was definitely one of my favorite songs by them! A true bonafide guilty pleasure!
34: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (22) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them.
33: SMUGGLER’S BLUES – GLENN FREY (38) - The first of two hits by Frey from the "Miami Vice" soundtrack. This is my favorite of the two by a slight margin, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles.
LDD: YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD – HELEN REDDY - As cheesy as this song was, it definitely fit the dedication, since it was from a divorced mother, who was going through tough times after her husband either died or left her - I was somewhat busy, so I wasn't paying full attention.
32: ANGEL - MADONNA (debut) - I think it's an understatement that 1985 was a great year for Madonna. She had a ton of hits on the chart. This was a good one, but I preferred many others from her, including her album cut "Into The Groove", which was charting at R&R around this time
31: ‘TIL MY BABY COMES HOME – LUTHER VANDROSS (34) - Featuring Billy Preston on the organ, this was Luther's second Top 40 hit (third, if you count his duet with Dionne Warwick, "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye") and it was a good one, but I preferred many others from him.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: RASPBERRY BERET - PRINCE - This was Prince's first song in quite awhile that was NOT from the Purple Rain soundtrack. It was a good song, but definitely not his best.
30: SAY YOURE WRONG – JULIAN LENNON (35) - His album Valotte spawned three Top 40 hits. This was my favorite of the three, and I feel it deserved a higher peak than #21 (especially since the first two songs hit the Top Ten).
29: ONE MORE NIGHT – PHIL COLLINS (17) - Wow, I had forgotten that this song was still on the charts (and up in the Top 30, no less). This song, which was strong enough to ward off "We Are The World" to spend a second week on top, was my favorite of the No Jacket Required singles.
28: CELEBRATE YOUTH – RICK SPRINGFIELD (32) - He was pretty much a has-been at this point. His album Tao spawned only two singles, neither of which hit the Top 20. I preferred the other single, "State Of The Heart" by a fair margin. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it peaked so low (other than the fact that Springfield had already had his day in the sun). Casey read off the top five Australian acts up to now. They were as follows:
Men At Work
Little River Band
Rick Springfield
Air Supply
Helen Reddy
27: ROCK AND ROLL GIRLS – JOHN FOGERTY (21) - Once the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he was on his own at this point, and doing quite well. The first two songs from Centerfield hit the Top 20, including this one. I preferred the title track, which I'm surprised never hit the Top 20 (could have to do with the fact that it was the flipside to this song).
26: ONE LONELY NIGHT – REO SPEEDWAGON (30) - They had a big #1 earlier in the year (one of my personal faves by them, might I add). I figured that this song, their second hit from Wheels Are Turnin' (as well as another personal favorite) would hit the Top Ten, but it only got as high as #19 (which isn't bad either). Their biggest pop success was definitely in 1981, with Hi Infidelity.
25: HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS (33) - The first of three #1 hits for Adams (sure seems like he had more, doesn't it? I'm glad that this got a second chance on the charts (as when it was first released, from the box office bomb "A Night In Heaven", it went nowhere).
24: WALKING ON SUNSHINE – KATRINA & THE WAVES (31) - A great, fun song that always takes me back to the summer of 1985!
23: I’M ON FIRE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (13) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which had peaked at #6 several weeks before. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA
22: JUST A GIGOLO/I AIN’T GOT NOBODY – DAVID LEE ROTH (27) - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing only four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits.
21: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (18) - Their Big Bam Boom album was their third in a row to be certified multi-platinum. This was the third single from it, and it would peak at #18. I'm thinking it might have peaked higher had it been released a few years earlier, as it sort of had an early-80s sound to it (in fact, the choruses reminded me of the verses of "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply). I thought it was a good song.
20: IN MY HOUSE – THE MARY JANE GIRLS (26) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this Rick James-produced soul & funk group (though I have heard a few others from them, such as their cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk Like A Man" which was a mid-charter a year later). This was my favorite of their songs that I know.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE - WHITNEY HOUSTON - Ah, the song that started it all off for her - in the Top 40, that is, as she was featured the year before in Teddy Pendergrass' "Hold Me", which peaked at #46. This is the song that started her chart career proper. This song climbed all the way to #3 and there was much, much more where that came from. Of her singles from her self-titled debut album, this would be my second favorite, behind "The Greatest Love Of All".
19: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES (24) - This song and Billy Joel's hit from later that summer, "You're Only Human", both had similar messages. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer.
18: FRESH - KOOL & THE GANG (25) - This was the second of four hits from the album Emergency (in fact, three of them hit the Top Ten - ironically, the only one that did not was the title track). This was my favorite of that album's singles.
17: NEW ATTITUDE – PATTI LaBELLE (19) - A great and very positive sounding song that reminds me of the revelation I had back in June, 2009 about developing a more positive attitude than I'd had previously. There is still room for improvement, but I've been told by several people that they've noticed the change.
16: SUDDENLY – BILLY OCEAN (20) - To many Billy Ocean fans, it's pretty common knowledge that an incident associated with this song actually inspired one of Ocean's hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", which hit #1 the following summer. Both songs are great, IMO, and among my personal faves from Ocean. Too bad they cut the second verse.
15: THAT WAS YESTERDAY – FOREIGNER (12) - At least they played this song intact. The second hit from Agent Provacateur, it was looking like it would be another Top Ten hit, but it fell short, peaking at #12. It did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart and was played regularly on the stations I listened to (especially U93, which played it well into the summer). It was easily my favorite of their two 1985 hits, as well as possibly my favorite song from them of all time!
14: DON’T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (15) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. I preferred his early-80s hits.
13: NIGHTSHIFT – THE COMMODORES (8) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes that I mentioned earlier, only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie.
12: AXEL F – HAROLD FALTERMEYER (16) - The first of three instrumentals to hit the Top 40 in 1985 (not sure when the last time that many instrumentals charted within a year's time). I remember that sometimes, I'd shadowbox in time to music of this song. Not sure why; just one of many weird things I did as a young teenager.
11: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE – DON HENLEY (9) - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me.
LDD: MISSING YOU – DIANA ROSS - Wow, what a LDD. I wonder why the father of the girl who wrote this LDD rejected her like he did? Possibly seeing her reminded him of the pain of the divorce (which would explain why he started to cry when she came to visit him).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY - The first of two Top 40 hits from this band from Boston. It was a good one, though I preferred their other Top 40 hit (which was quite underrated, I must say), "What About Love".
10: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – TEARS FOR FEARS (14) - The first of three big hits for TFF in 1985. This song went all the way to #1 and is my second favorite, behind "Head Over Heels".
9: OBSESSION - ANIMOTION (6) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989.
8: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (11) - Not only their third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. This was my favorite of those.
7: SMOOTH OPERATOR - SADE (10) - Their debut hit, which became one of their biggest, peaking at #5 the following week. It wasn't one of my favorites back in the day, but now I think it's a great one!
6: SOME LIKE IT HOT – THE POWER STATION (7) - One of several Duran Duran side projects. This song was OK, but I generally preferred Duran Duran, including their then-new song "A View To A Kill", which would debut on the Hot 100 the following week and go on to hit #1 that summer.
5: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK – MURRAY HEAD f/ANDERS GLENMARK (5) - That is how the song would be credited today, since Glenmark sings in the song while Murray Head raps. As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! They usually edited this one (heavily at times), but this week, they seemed to play the song intact.
4: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DEBARGE (3) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3 back in May. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6.
3: DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) – SIMPLE MINDS (4) - Their first four hits sounded very much alike, IMO. This was my least favorite of the four (probably since it was way overplayed). I do like the movie from which it came, The Breakfast Club.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY - PAUL YOUNG - Definitely one of the songs that I most associate with the summer of 1985! This one has held up quite well despite overplay!
2: WE ARE THE WORLD – USA FOR AFRICA (1) - One of the biggest selling singles ever, and for a great cause - aiding in famine relief in Ethiopia. I did get tired of the song back in the day, both from radio airplay and rehearsing it almost every day for our spring choir concert in 7th grade, but it's great to hear it every now and then.
1: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA (2) - This song had been stuck in the runner-up position for three weeks and, with a multi-million selling benefit song at the top, it looked like that might be all the further the song got, but the song did manage a week at #1. The song was #1 for two weeks on the R&R chart and went on to become the biggest song of the year, and deservedly so, as it was such a great song!

[mga707]

May 5, 2024 19:00:17 GMT -5 chrislc said:

I remember my parents mentioning Ish Kabibble. I had no idea what they were talking about, or that this was a person. I just thought it was one of those old people things.

I hear the name 'Ish Kabibble' in Edith Bunker's (Jean Stapleton's) voice. She mentions him a couple of times on 'All In the Family' episodes.