Chart Critiques

[mrjukebox]

"Got To Get You Into My Life" originally appeared on The Beatles' 1966 album "Revolver" but it wasn't released as a single-Ten years later,Capitol Records released a two record set entitled "Rock & Roll Music" which was a compilation of The Beatles best songs-This time,"Got To Get You Into My Life" was released as a single & peaked at # 7.

[mga707]

Jun 21, 2024 14:13:36 GMT -5 chrislc said:

>9: MAGIC - PILOT (13)

Possibly now the most familiar melody of any hit song of the 1970s.

Unfortunately, I have to agree.

[chrislc]

Jun 21, 2024 19:37:37 GMT -5 mga707 said:

Jun 21, 2024 14:13:36 GMT -5 chrislc said:

>9: MAGIC - PILOT (13)

Possibly now the most familiar melody of any hit song of the 1970s.

Unfortunately, I have to agree.

My money has always been on Toast and Marmalade for Tea. Oh well, never say never.

[mrjukebox]

"Take Me In Your Arms" was a minor hit for Motown singer Kim Wells in 1965-It peaked at # 50.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - June 29, 2024

This week's presentation - June 30, 1979

As we all know, I'm getting lazy in my old age, so here is a recycled commentary from when this show was first rebroadcast, back in 2016.

Droppers:
HOT NUMBER - FOXY (38) - Meh, no big loss, as it wasn't really a hot number to me, as I'm not into this type of music (but you already know that, right?)
DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (37) - Her second of two hits from 1979. I personally preferred her other one, "A Little More Love", but this wasn't far behind at all, as it was also a great song!
IN THE NAVY - THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (35) - As we all know, their biggest hit was one of my "No. Just no" songs (and sometimes it would get a rating even worse than that). This one, on the other hand, I actually really like. Probably because there wasn't a goofy, overdone dance to go along with it (they could have easily done that with the "They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!" chant, but to my best of knowledge, that has not materialized - yet).
GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (33) - This was the last of their Top Ten hits from the 70s (they would have one more, which would end up becoming one of their biggest hits of all-time, a year later). This was a great song, but I preferred a few others, including said 1980 #1).
DISCO NIGHTS (ROCK FREAK) - GQ (29) - This was the first of two hits (from the same year, no less) from this soul group from the Bronx. This was one of several songs sampled in Kon Kan's 1989 hit "I Beg Your Pardon". I seem to recall that I preferred their other hit, "I Do Love You", which charted later that summer.

LW#3: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD
LW#2: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE
LW#1: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER
40: WEEKEND - WET WILLIE (debut) - The third and final Top 40 hit for this Mobile, Alabama band. It was a pretty good song.
39: RENEGADE - STYX (34) - I liked how Casey said that this song was sure not to be one of the songs in the upcoming Top 40 disco special. As for the song, I'm surprised that it only got as high was #16, given all the airplay it received back in the day. It is also a classic rock staple. I liked it, but preferred "Blue Collar Man", from the same album, Pieces of Eight.
38: SAD EYES - ROBERT JOHN (debut) - Who knew that this song would take until October to hit #1 on the charts! It tied "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder for the record for the slowest climb to the top. I'm glad it made it, though, as it was a great song.
LDD: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY - One of the best one-hit wonders of the 1970s!
37: GETTING CLOSER - WINGS (debut) - Musically, this is a pretty decent song, but what the hell does Paul mean by "my salamander"?
36: UP ON THE ROOF - JAMES TAYLOR (debut) - A rather interesting interpretation of the old Drifter's classic hit. In fact, I preferred this over the original.
35: ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - BLONDIE (debut) - This song, which is frankly one of the most irritating songs on the chart, was beginning its first run on the chart. After peaking at #34 the following week, it dropped out, only to return the week after. Not sure what the deal was with that erratic chart run, but whatever.
34: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - JACKSONS (18) - Meh, this was nowhere near as good as their early-70s hits.
ARCHIVES: (YOU'RE) HAVING MY BABY - PAUL ANKA - Let me put it this way - give me "Hold Me 'Til The Morning Comes" any day!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT - BARBRA STREISAND - Known mainly for her slow songs, she decided to go with a disco beat for this song (and it worked, as the song climbed all the way to #3). I preferred many of her slower songs, but I did like this better than her other disco hit, released later in the year.
33: PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHWIND - KANSAS (39) - This was one of their last songs with Steve Walsh still handling the lead vocals before his hiatus from the band. It wasn't bad, but one of my least favorites from them.
32: SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT - ANNE MURRAY (36) - As I've said many times, 1978-1980 was her best era, IMO, as I liked each and every song from that time period. This was definitely no exception!
31: SHAKEDOWN CRUISE - JAY FERGUSON (31) - The second of two Top 40 hits for this man from the San Fernando Valley. I preferred the first one, "Thunder Island", which charted the year before.
30: MAMA CAN'T BUY YOU LOVE - ELTON JOHN (40) - This week's biggest mover, it was one of two Top Tens by Elton John in a near seven-year period. It's a good song that is all but ignored by Top 40 radio anymore.
29: GET USED TO IT - ROGER VOUDOURIS (21) - The only Top 40 hit from this Sacramento native, but what a great song it was!
28: DO IT OR DIE - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (32) - Though I preferred their two Top Ten hits, this one was also a good one.
27: ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY - BAD COMPANY (13) - Here's one that I definitely associate with the summer of 1979 - I heard this one many times on the juke box at the beach house that I went to all the time that summer!
26: I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU - KISS (30) - They seemed to have jumped on the disco bandwagon at this point (not a good move, as this was just before Steve Dahl's infamous Disco Demolition). This would be their last Top 40 hit for over ten years - they finally returned in early 1990 with what would be their second Top Ten hit - like the first one, it was a ballad.
25: DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW - ABBA (28) - This was Abba's first charted singles that featured Björn Ulvaeus on lead vocals instead of Agnetha Faltskog and Frida. It was a pretty good song, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All".
24: YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT - RAYDIO (27) - This song and their 1981 song "A Woman Needs Love" sounded very similar. I slightly prefer this one though (but both of them are great songs.
23: HEART OF THE NIGHT - POCO (26) - The second of their two 1979 hits - I liked it about the same as "Crazy Love". Still, I think their best hit ever was "Nothing To Hide", from early 1990.
ARCHIVE: I SHOT THE SHERIFF - ERIC CLAPTON - Oh, so that was you, huh? Well then tell me, was it also you who shot JR? We've been wondering that for over 40 years! But seriously, this was a pretty good song, considering I'm not a huge Eric Clapton fan.
22: DAYS GONE DOWN - GERRY RAFFERTY (24) - It was quite refreshing to hear a song by him besides the grossly overplayed "Baker Street". This one was actually a good song - too bad this one didn't go Top Ten.
21: I CAN'T STAND IT NO MORE - PETER FRAMPTON (28) - Well, try he might, he just couldn't come close to equaling the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred a few songs from said album, as well as the title track from his second album I'm In You.
20: AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW - McFADDEN & WHITEHEAD (23) - Great Philly Soul music here! I remember this one quite well!
19: WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - DR. HOOK (26) - As we all know, my favorite song from them was "Better Love Next Time", but this was a good one too - and it became one of their most successful hits.
18: DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY - VAN HALEN (23) - I generally prefer the Van Hagar area, but this was actually one of my favorite songs of theirs before 1986.
17: REUNITED - PEACHES & HERB (12) - This was by far their biggest hit ever, spending the entire month of May at the top. It is also my favorite song from them - one of the best love songs of all time!
16: GOLD - JOHN STEWART (19) - Here's one of several R&R-only #1 songs on this week's chart (there are several of those in this week's Top Ten, I believe). This one featured Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals - making an already great song even better!
15: SHINE A LITTLE LOVE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (20) - Here's another R&R-only #1 song. This would peak at #8 on the AT40 chart. It was a great song - one of their best!
14: MINUTE BY MINUTE - DOOBIE BROTHERS (16) - The title track from their #1 album, which had topped the chart back in April/May. The first single from the album had also hit #1 around that time. Of course, that was the song that I preferred of the two.
13: MAKIN' IT - DAVID NAUGHTON (18) - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable.
12: I WANT YOU TO WANT ME - CHEAP TRICK (19) - Now here's one I remember quite well from the summer of 1979, as I heard it regularly on the jukebox at the beach house that I went to a lot during the summer, plus WLS played it regularly. I liked this song a lot.
ARCHIVE: CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOBE, BABE - BARRY WHITE - This song was the first in a string of songs that dropped out of the Top Ten from #1, which goes to show you how fast the chart moved around that time.
11: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT - BEE GEES (5) - Ah, the song that was said to have been artificially moved to #1 so as not to interrupt their streak at #1. Whether or not that is true I have no idea, but regardless, it is still a good song!
10: YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY - REX SMITH (12) - This song was from the TV movie Sooner Or Later, in which Rex himself was the star. I loved this song when it was on the charts and still love it today - one of favorite songs from 1979
9: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST - RANDY VANWARMER (4) - The only Top 40 song from this man from Colorado who, sadly, passed away twenty years ago. It was a really good song, but not one to listen to when feeling depressed, especially over a recent breakup.
8: BOOGIE WONDERLAND - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (10) - A one-time team-up between these two acts. The song was OK, but I preferred most of EW+F's other material (and the only other song I've heard by the Emotions was "Best Of My Love" - yes, I preferred that one too).
7: SHE BELIEVES IN ME - KENNY ROGERS (8) - Here's one that I remember quite well from '79! This one would peak at #5 on AT40, but on the R&R chart, it managed to sneak in a week at #1.
6: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (6) - This was my favorite song in the world back in the summer of 1979. WLS played this song all the time, starting around the beginning of the summer and pretty much straight through to the early fall - at which time I finally decided to buy the Breakfast In America album.
5: CHUCK E'S IN LOVE - RICKIE LEE JONES (7) - Hey, three R&R #1 songs in a row! This one would peak a spot higher here on AT40 the following week. The song wasn't bad, but definitely not one I'd want to hear all the time.
4: WE ARE FAMILY - SISTER SLEDGE (2) - This song looked like this might hit #1, but due to the competition at #1, the song fell a spot short. This song has definitely stood the test of time - still receives quite a lot of airplay 40 years later! I myself think it's a good song, which says a lot, considering I'm not much for disco music.
3: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER (5) - As "Hot Stuff" fell out of #1, this song nearly caused Summer to succeed herself at #1.
2: HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER (1) - This song has also stood the test of time, and it was definitely one of the big summer hits of 1979. It spent a total of 14 weeks in the Top Ten - longer than any song that year (some #1 songs in 1979 didn't even last that long in the entire Top 40). I liked the song too - my second favorite of her 1979 hits, behind "Heaven Knows".
1: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD (3) - And here is the song that kept Donna Summer from having two consecutive #1 hits. I heard this one a few times at the local skating rink back in the day. It was OK, but nothing special.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - June 29, 2024

This week's presentation - June 29, 1985

Droppers:
SMOOTH OPERATOR - SADE (40) - 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!
JUST A GIGOLO/I AIN'T GOT NOBODY - DAVID LEE ROTH (37) - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits.
DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) - SIMPLE MINDS (27) - 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.

40: WAKE UP (NEXT TO YOU) – GRAHAM PARKER AND THE SHOT (39) - The only Top 40 for this man from East London. It was a great one, IMO.
39: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (debut) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s.
38: YOU SPIN ME AROUND (LIKE A RECORD) – DEAD OR ALIVE (debut) - A two-hit wonder band from Liverpool, England. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit (as was this one) about two years later.
37: LITTLE BY LITTLE – ROBERT PLANT (38) - One of four solo Top 40 hits from the lead singer of the legendary group Led Zeppelin. I preferred "Big Log", though this was good too.
36: NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL (22) - 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: SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS (debut) - Never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without.
34: NEVER SURRENDER – COREY HART (36) - This, on the other hand, was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all.
33: WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW - DeBARGE (34) - At first, this song didn't look like it would be one of their more successful hits, as it started out climbing very slowly. It really picked up steam two weeks later, moving up ten spots and would go on to hit the Top Ten, like their last hit "Rhythm Of The Night". This was definitely my favorite of their two Top Ten hits.
LDD: SOLID – ASHFORD & SIMPSON -
32: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE – DePECHE MODE (33) - Wow, this must have been a tight spot in the chart, with several songs taking baby steps even though their chart runs were far from over! Anyway, this was the first Top 40 hit for this English band. I never cared much for it, however; I preferred their two Top 20 hits from 1990.
31: POSSESSION OBSESSION – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (31) - Wow, this song, after making a good-sized jump the week before, came to a screeching halt this week! The song would peak the following week at #30. This was their final top 40 hit (of their own) before Daryl embarked on a short-lived solo career. It was a good song, but I can see why it wasn't one of their more successful songs.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALL YOU ZOMBIES - THE HOOTERS - They didn't hit the chart proper until later that year with "And We Danced". This song was OK, but I preferred their Top 40 hits.
30: BANG A GONG (GET IT ON) – THE POWER STATION (35) - The only remake on this week's chart - and I prefer this song over the original, since it seems a lot more energetic.
29: CANNONBALL - SUPERTRAMP (30) - This was the first song by Supertramp after Roger Hodgson had left the band. It was pretty good, but definitely not one of their best. Unfortunately, it was their final Top 40 hit.
28: JUST AS I AM – AIR SUPPLY (29) - Another act who was charting with their last Top 40 hit, though they were definitely on a roll during their first few years! This song peaked at #19, though I feel it should have at least hit the Top Ten, like their first seven hits.
27: 19 – PAUL HARDCASTLE (32) - I thought that this was Max Headroom when I first heard it. It wasn't bad, but kind of weird.
26: GETCHA BACK – THE BEACH BOYS (28) - Their heyday was definitely back in the sixties, but they did have a few hits here and there in the next two decades (including their biggest hit ever in 1988). This was a good song - definitely sounded a lot like their earlier hits.
25: FRESH – KOOL & THE GANG (18) - 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 the Emergency singles.
24: AXEL – HAROLD FALTERMEYER (15) - 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, when this song came on the radio, I'd shadowbox in time to the music. Not sure why; just one of many weird things I did as a young teenager.
23: TOUGH ALL OVER – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (23) - They had a good year from fall, 1984 to fall, 1985, with four Top 20 hits. This was by far my favorite of the four. Sounds a little like something Jackson Browne would record.
22: CRAZY IN THE NIGHT (BARKING AT AIRPLANES) – KIM CARNES (24) - Of course, she had one of the biggest hits of the decade so far, "Bette Davis Eyes", from four years before. Though this would be her biggest hit since then, the song didn't get any higher than #15 (which isn't half bad either). BTW, did anyone notice that the beginning of this song and "Stand" by R.E.M. sound very similar?
21: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (13) - Not only their third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. At first, I thought "Freedom" might be a fourth, but its early action on a few radio stations (which had started about now) actually impeded its progress on the chart, as many of those stations had dropped that song partway through its chart climb on the Hot 100.
20: SENTIMENTAL STREET – NIGHT RANGER (25) - This one reminded me a lot of Sister Christian, and what do you know - those were their only Top Ten hits. I guess the Top 40 audience preferred their power ballads. With the exception of "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" (which wasn't bad), I thought all of their Top 40 hits were great.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS - So Bryan joined a band, in which one of the members actually quits to get married, when he was only ten? Interesting. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred his other song in the countdown this week.
19: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE – STING (26) - Or as Casey says, "Set 'Em Free". Anyway, this, of course, is the song that launched Sting's successful solo career. It was a good one, but I mainly prefer his 90s hits.
18: SUDDENLY – BILLY OCEAN (11) - This was the third Top 40 hit from the album of the same name. Like the first two, it hit the Top Five. Of those singles, this was my favorite by a fair margin.
17: GLORY DAYS – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (21) - The fifth of seven Top Ten hits from Springsteen's monster album Born In The USA. Definitely one of my favorites from the album!
16: SMUGGLER’S BLUES – GLENN FREY (12) - This song was featured in an episode of Miami Vice, in which Glenn was cast as a pilot. It was a good one, but I slightly preferred his other two 1985 hits.
15: THE GOONIES ‘R’ GOOD ENOUGH – CYNDI LAUPER (19) - A song I hear every time I play the Goonies 2 on my NES (as a computerized video game version of this song plays here and there in Fratelli's hideout). Of course, Cyndi Lauper's version was much better!
14: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY – PAUL YOUNG (20) - This was definitely among the most played songs of the summer of 1985, but it has held up quite well. I don't think I ever got tired of this song, and I'm glad that it made it to #1.
13: YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE – WHITNEY HOUSTON (17) - The first of many, many, many Top 40 hits for the late Whitney Houston. It was a great one, as I generally preferred her slow songs (though a few of her upbeat songs are great as well).
12: VOICES CARRY – ‘TIL TUESDAY (16) - 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".
11: WALKING ON SUNSHINE – KATRINA AND THE WAVES (10) - This band had several Top 40 hits, but this is definitely their most memorable (as well as the only one that most people remember). It was my favorite of their hits, but the others were also good.
10: IN MY HOUSE – MARY JANE GIRLS (7) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this 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: THE POWER OF LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS - A song from one of the best movies ever, IMO. I loved the Back To The Future trilogy! This was played in the first one as Marty McFly rode his skateboard to school after finding out he was 20 minutes late, hoping to dodge his principal, but no such luck. This is possibly the song by Lewis that gets the most recurrent airplay anymore. I like it, but wish that radio stations would occasionally play a few of their big hits that are all but ignored nowadays.
9: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES (8) - This song had a similar message to the Billy Joel song, "You're Only Human", which charted later in the summer. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer.
8: WOULD I LIE TO YOU – THE EURYTHMICS (14) - This was sort of a departure from their usual pop sound - they rocked with this one. Of course, we all know that my favorite song from them was their next release.
LDD: LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY – DENIECE WILLIAMS -
7: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – TEARS FOR FEARS (3) - 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".
6: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR (10) - 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 (in fact, it was used for that very purpose a few weeks later).
5: ANGEL - MADONNA (6) - 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
4: RASPBERRY BERET – PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION (4) - This used to be one of my favorite songs by Prince, but not so much anymore. As I’ve said many times before, I find the falsetto part at the end (which is actually Wendy & Lisa instead of Prince, as I once thought) quite annoying.
3: A VIEW TO A KILL – DURAN DURAN (5) - The second of two #1 songs for Duran Duran (you thought they had more, didn't you?) - and was by far my favorite of the two - a great song indeed!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ST. ELMO'S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) - JOHN PARR - The first of two songs from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack to hit the Top 40. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie, which would hit the charts that fall.
2: SUSSUDIO – PHIL COLLINS (6) - The second of four releases from No Jacket Required. Definitely my least favorite of them - this one was a little too gimmicky, IMO, as well as overplayed.
1: HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS (1) - 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).

[mrjukebox]

One Huey Lewis song that doesn't receive recurrent airplay is "Jacob's Ladder"-That's odd considering that it went to # 1 in 1987.

[chrislc]

>19: WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - DR. HOOK (26) - As we all know, my favorite song from them was "Better Love Next Time", but this was a good one too - and it became one of their most successful hits.<

BETTER LOVE NEXT TIME was a great song. It was perfect for them.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - July 6, 2024

This week's presentation - July 9, 1977

DROPPERS:
GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM ROCKY) - MAYNARD FERGUSON (36) - Bill Conti's version of this song stole the thunder of this one, as it petered out at #28. Too bad, as it was a good one.
ALL YOU GET FROM LOVE IS A SONG - THE CARPENTERS (35) - I forget how this song goes, but I seem to recall it was a pretty good one.
SLOW DANCIN' (DON'T TURN ME ON) - ADDRISI BROTHERS (33) - No big loss, as this song didn't really turn me on neither.

40: HANDY MAN – JAMES TAYLOR (debut) - 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.
39: TELEPHONE LINE – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (debut) - 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.
38: DEVIL’S GUN – C.J. & CO (debut) - Ah, here's the song that wouldn't die! The song kept yo-yo-ing up and down the chart for over a half a year, only managing to make the Top 40 for two weeks, peaking at #36 the following week and falling out the week after. The song was OK, but nothing exceptional, IMO.
37: SIR DUKE – STEVIE WONDER (25) - 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.
36: THE KILLING OF GEORGIE – ROD STEWART (40) - This song was kind of depressing. I can see why it only got as high as #30.
35: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (39) - This song was heavily edited at the beginning and near the end, but the main part of the song was left intact, which is good, since it's one of my favorite Supertramp songs ever!
34: TELEPHONE MAN – MERI WILSON (38) - Let's just say that I'm glad that this goofy song's playing time was only two minutes long.
33: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (37) - After being absent from the chart for nearly seven years, this was their comeback hit, and it turned out to be their biggest, peaking at #7 in late August. It was a great one - one of their all-time best hits, IMO.
32: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG – MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (23) - A "two-hit wonder", and this is by far their best known of the two hits - and my favorite as well (though I seem to remember that "Fire On The Mountain" was pretty good as well).
31: LONELY BOY – ANDREW GOLD (16) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other one, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, but the other song is a close second. Both are great songs, IMO.
30: BARRACUDA - HEART (34) - This is a song that I used to think was just OK, but I've recently gotten to like it a lot recently.
29: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (29) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC - The third of four hit singles from their Rumors album. Possibly my least favorite from the album as well, since it is so overplayed. My favorite single from the album would be their next one,. "You Make Lovin' Fun".
28: EASY – THE COMMODORES (32) - This was when their musical quality began to improve, as their first few hits were mediocre. This remains one of my favorite Commodores songs of all time!
27: LUCKENBACH, TEXAS (BACK TO THE BASICS OF LOVE) - WAYLON JENNINGS (28) - This was Jennings' second of three Top 40 hits. I seem to recall that it was a good song, but not quite as good as his "Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard".
26: IT’S SAD TO BELONG – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (31) - A song about a guy who is bored with his marriage and meets someone that he feels is his soul mate. The lyric that doesn't make sense to me is how, if he had a time machine, he'd go back to the day he was born. How about just going back as far as the day you met the girl who you'd end up marrying? Anyway, I actually liked this song and felt this should have gotten higher than #21.
25: LUCILLE – KENNY ROGERS (17) - 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.
24: YOU’RE MY WORLD – HELEN REDDY (27) - This song reminds me a little of Joni James' 1955 hit "How Important Can It Be". The song is quite cheesy, like most of Reddy's songs, but still pretty good.
23: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (14) - The first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band!
22: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC – BAY CITY ROLLERS (26) - Their third and final Top Ten hit (in fact, after this, they'd have one last Top 40 hit before fading into obscurity. Anyway, this is about the only song by them that I like.
21: LIFE IN THE FAST LANE – THE EAGLES (11) - This song just barely missed the Top Ten, ending the streak that they had going (though the streak would have been broken anyway in early 1979, as "Please Come Home For Christmas" wasn't on the chart long enough to hit the Top Ten, as it was a seasonal hit). As for this song, I liked it, but preferred their two other "Hotel California" hits.
20: LOVE’S GROWN DEEP – KENNY NOLAN (21) - A two-hit wonder, although I imagine that most people don't remember this one, as it has fallen into obscurity. Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind.
19: KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU - ABBA (24) - Their second of two hits from 1977 ("The Name Of The Game" doesn't count, as it wasn't even heard on AT40 until 1978). Though I preferred "Dancing Queen", this one was a great song as well!
18: HIGH SCHOOL DANCE - SYLVERS (19) - Their first two hits made the Top Five, but this one petered out at #17. Can't really call this "Third-Single Syndrome", as the three songs weren't from the same album. This song wasn't bad, but my favorite from them was "Boogie Fever".
17: Y0U AND ME – ALICE COOPER (22) - He was more famous for his loud, hard-rocking songs, but he had a few slow ones as well, which I preferred. My favorite song from him is "Only Women", but this one, as well as his hit from earlier in the year, "I Never Cry", would be very close behind - all three are great songs!
16: WHATCHA GONNA DO – PABLO CRUISE (20) - This was their very first hit, and it became their biggest ever, peaking at #6 and lasting a half a year on the Hot 100! Very deservedly so, as it was a great song - one of their best IMO.
15: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER – RITA COOLIDGE (18) - This was definitely my favorite version of this song (most versions use the same gospel flavored arrangement of the song - this one was actually MOR/disco type song). It apparently worked, as this was the most successful version of the song (chartwise, that is)
14: BEST OF MY LOVE – THE EMOTIONS (30) - Wow, with a huge leap like that, it was clear where this song was headed, and deservedly so, as I thought it was a great song! Mariah Carey apparently thought so as well, as the bass line for her song "Emotions" was very similar to this.
13: DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC (6) - The biggest single from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay, as well as its repetitive melody, with only two chords used intermittently. It's still a pretty good one, though.
12: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE – PETER McCANN (12) - Of course, I have mentioned how this song sounds a lot like "Goodbye Girl" by David Gates (and that I prefer the latter). There is also a similarity between the piano intro to this song and that of the "Greatest American Hero Theme" by Joey Scarbury.
11: I’M IN YOU – PETER FRAMPTON (15) - This song hit #1 on the R&R chart two weeks later, and looked like it could do the same on Billboard, but didn't quite make it. It still became his biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, since it's my favorite song of his.
10: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME – BARBRA STREISAND (12) - Her second of two Top Five hits during the year 1977. Both are great songs, with great hypnotic effects, but I slightly prefer this one.
9: MARGARITAVILLE – JIMMY BUFFETT (10) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins". They usually butchered this one, cutting out the instrumental bridge, as well as the ending (when he repeats the last two lines of the chorus) and this week was no exception. Did they ever play this song intact during its chart run?
8: JET AIRLINER – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (9) - The second of four Top 40 hits during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits.
7: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (8) - A case where someone in a similar situation as "It's Sad To Belong" actually caved into temptation. I'm not as crazy about this song as I used to be.
6: GOT TO GIVE IT UP (PART 1) – MARVIN GAYE (3) - I'm generally not a huge fan of Marvin Gaye, but for some reason, I like this one. Kind of a surprise, as this one has been compared to "Blurred Lines", which I still hate with a passion.
5: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING – ANDY GIBB (7) - The only of the Gibb brothers that was not in the Bee Gees, but his solo career was definitely a success! His first three singles all hit #1. This was by far my favorite song from him (and it eventually went on to become AT40's top song of 1977).
4: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM “ROCKY”) – BILL CONTI (1) - Since AT40 pre-empted the regular chart the week before with the "Top 40 Girls Of The Rock Era" special, this song was cheated out of its week at #1 on AT40. Oh well, stuff happens, right? Anyway, that didn't change the fact that it did indeed hit #1.
3: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT – BARRY MANILOW (5) - This was his third and final #1 hit. No matter; he'd have many more big hits. This was by far my favorite of his #1 songs.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAR WARS (MAIN TITLE) - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - The first of two versions of this song to chart. This song did quite well on the charts, but when Meco's disco version came along, this one was pretty much left for dead, which is too bad, as this version was my favorite of the two.
2: DA DOO RON RON – SHAUN CASSIDY (4) - The first of three Top 40 hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest. Casey correctly predicted this song going to #1 the following week. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one.
1: UNDERCOVER ANGEL – ALAN O’DAY (2) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write several other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance, which was also a #1 fantasy hit, like this one). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - July 6, 2024

This week's presentation - July 9, 1983

Droppers:
MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE (37) - This song was the third of an incredible 13 consecutive Top Ten hits for Mr. Richie. It was a good one, but my least favorite of his three Top 40 songs from his debut album.
DON'T PAY THE FERRYMAN - CHRIS DEBURGH (34) - We just missed hearing this song, as the last 1983 show, not too long ago, happened to be the one for the week before this song debuted. Too bad this song didn't last any longer on the chart than it did.
OVERKILL - MEN AT WORK (31) - Their debut hit, "Who Can It Be Now" (which this sounds somewhat like), hit #1 on the Hot 100, but not R&R. The tables were turned with this song, as this spent three weeks at #1 on the latter and peaked at #3 on the former. Truly, the Cargo singles, sadly ignored by 80s stations were superior to the two from Business From Usual, which you can count on hearing during any two-hour period listening to any 80s station. Anyway, this was definitely my favorite song from this Australian band.
WE TWO - LITTLE RIVER BAND (29) - They'd definitely had their day in the sun several years before, over a period of about three and a half years, but, unfortunately, this was their next to last Top 40 hit. It was definitely one of my favorites from them, giving "Lady" a run for its money.
THE WOMAN IN YOU - THE BEE GEES (24) - It looked like the Bee Gees were making a comeback, but it wasn't a big one, as this didn't even hit the Top 20 (they would, however, return to the Top Ten six years later with their song "One").

LW#1: FLASHDANCE…WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA
40: TRY AGAIN - CHAMPAIGN (30) - This song indeed looked promising at first with a debut at #30, with prospects of it possibly surpassing the #12 peak of their first hit, but that was not to be, as the song only got as high as #23, where it held for three weeks. The song did well at AC radio, though, peaking at #6 (and I remember hearing it on U93's Top 93 of 1983 countdown). I liked their two Top 40 songs about the same - both great songs!
39: ROCK AND ROLL IS KING - ELO (debut) - They were good in the 70s, but, IMO, not so much in the 1980s. Melodically, this was pretty much "Hold On Tight Pt. 2".
38: CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE (debut) - "And when I get excited, my little China Girl says, 'Oh baby, just you shut your mouth!' As we probably know all too well, my favorite songs from him were his two 1987 hits, but this one wasn't bad either.
37: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY (22) - Strange that this song missed the Top Ten, since it still receives a ton of recurrent airplay, especially on AC-based oldies stations. I like it, but preferred many others from them.
36: WHITE WEDDING - BILLY IDOL (36) - The final release from his second album, which was eponymously titled. I'm surprised that this song peaked so low, as I remember hearing this quite a lot in the summer of 1983 on Chicago's WLS.
35: STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE - HOLLIES (40) - This was an interesting remake of the Supremes hit - they changed the lyrics around a little, the most notably being in the chorus (when they changed the second "before you break my heart" to "before you tear it apart"). Less notably, they removed the explanation point from the title. It was a great song, IMO, and I preferred this one over the Supremes version.
34: ROCK OF AGES - DEF LEPPARD (debut) - The second of three Top 40 hits from Hysteria, none of which managed to hit the Top Ten, but the best was yet to come - their album Hysteria, which came out almost exactly four years later would spawn a host of big hits for them! As for my opinion of the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from them.
33: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES (20) - Here's one of those acts that only lasted a little over a year on the charts. This was the biggest of their four hits and the only one that made the Top Ten. I preferred their next hit "Promises Promises".
32: IT'S A MISTAKE - MEN AT WORK (debut) - Well, they definitely had a great year, but their chart days were nearing the end. This would end up being their last Top Ten hit. It was my second favorite of theirs, behind "Overkill".
31: LET'S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE (15) - The beginning of the song sounds so much like the refrains in "Twist And Shout". Though I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, I actually thought this one was pretty good - my favorite of his two #1 hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BEEFALO SOLDIER - BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS - Wow, that was definitely an unusual extra pick! If anyone had guessed that one, then they'd have to have been cheating! Anyway, this song was OK, though I'm generally not a huge reggae fan.
30: SAVED BY ZERO - THE FIXX (debut) - Their very first Top 40 hit, and possibly my favorite from them. Too bad it doesn't receive as much airplay as "One Thing Leads To Another".
29: TAKE ME TO HEART - QUARTERFLASH (38) - They had three Top 40 hits, all of which I liked, but this one would probably be my favorite.
28: (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION - HUMAN LEAGUE (32) - Definitely a group that's associated with the 80s, with their electronic, new wave sound. I preferred "Don't You Want Me" and their next hit after this one, "Mirror Man", but I like this song too.
LDD: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY - Definitely a fitting song for the dedication, because the situation was much like the story the lyrics tell. As 1978-80 was Murray's best period, IMO, it should come as no surprise as this was one of my favorites from her.
27: ROLL ME AWAY - BOB SEGER (27) - The third and final Top 40 hit from The Distance. Despite the fact that the two others were bigger hits, this was the only single from that album to appear on Seger's first Greatest Hits album. I liked all three singles about the same (for different reasons, of course, since the musical style of all three was quite diverse.
26: WISHING (IF I HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU) - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (28) - They were pretty much a "flash in the pan" - they had three Top 40 hits within the span of a year and then they were gone. This song was pretty good, but I preferred their first two hits.
25: MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO (39) - There are several large chart jumps in Hour 2 and we start off with the biggest of them all. This was the second of two #1 hits from the movie Flashdance. I preferred the title track, but such was not the case back in the day, when I'd had enough of that song by this point, while this brand-new song was one of my favorites.
24: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON (16) - This song featured an (awesome) guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. As a result, it was played on AOR stations as well as Top 40 radio. This was my favorite single from Thriller.
23: HOT GIRLS IN LOVE - LOVERBOY (35) - Here's another big mover. It was looking like they just might finally have their first Top Ten hit. Well, though they did make it to R&R's Top Ten, this song fell just a spot short and they'd have to wait another two years for their first Top Ten on the Hot 100. Anyway, I remember hearing this hot hit all the time during that hot summer. Not so much anymore; pretty much all we hear anymore are their lower peaking songs like "Working For The Weekend" and "Turn Me Loose". I liked this song, but prefer a few others from them.
22: CUTS LIKE A KNIFE - BRYAN ADAMS (33) - The second hit, as well as the title track, from the album that put Adams on the map here in the States. It was OK, but definitely not his best. I generally preferred the Reckless era.
21: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (12) - There were a record-setting 24 foreign acts on the chart this week and Springfield was one of two artists on the chart this week representing Australia.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'LL TUMBLE 4 YA - CULTURE CLUB - aka "The Mexican Hat Dance Song". I liked this song when it first came out (I even bought the 45), then eventually, I hated it (gave it "No. Just No" status a few times, IIRC). Now I like it almost as much as I did during its chart run.
20: SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) - EURYTHMICS (26) - It has been said that they tacked on the subtitle so as not to confuse it with Air Supply's "Sweet Dreams" from the previous year. Whether or not this is true is not certain, but anyway, this was the first of ten Top 40 hits from them, and it was their biggest hit, hitting #1 in early September. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed.
19: BABY JANE - ROD STEWART (21) - Well, this was nowhere near as successful as his other "girl" hit (of course, that would be "Maggie May"). Though it wasn't his best hit, I liked it.
18: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY - DONNA SUMMER (25) - As illustrated on this week's 1979 show, she was one of the biggest artists of the disco era. This became her biggest hit since then, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 (and going all the way on the Soul chart). I wasn't a huge fan of this song; I rather preferred her earlier material, as well as a few of her hits later in the 80s.
17: ALL THIS LOVE - DeBARGE (18) - The second hit for this R&B family act from the Motor City. I liked it better than their first Top 40 entry, "I Like It", but IMO, it's not quite as good as "Time Will Reveal", which charted at the end of 1983. I see a resemblance between this song and Beth Nielsen Chapman's "That's The Easy Part", the latter, from Chapman's 1990 self-titled album.
16: SHE'S A BEAUTY - THE TUBES (10) - The second Top 40 hit from this band formed in San Francisco. I was never a big fan of this one; my favorite of theirs was actually their near-miss on the Hot 100, "Talk To Ya Later", from the fall of 1981.
15: 1999 - PRINCE (23) - Going into this song, Casey named songs that referred to years in the future. Of course, at this point, 1999 is nearly twenty years in the past and, surprise, surprise - the world did NOT end in 1999. This song had three chart runs - one from 1982, this one, and the last one at the beginning of the year responsible for this song's name. Due to the overplay, I'm still burned out on it and it is actually one of my least favorite songs from him (not that I was crazy about it in the first place).
14: STAND BACK - STEVIE NICKS (19) - She was still an active member of Fleetwood Mac, but also had a successful solo career going as well. This was the first of three hits from The Wild Heart. It was a good one, but sounds quite a lot like "Little Red Corvette...
13: IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW - DURAN DURAN (17) - Yes, there is something you should know - this song is royally annoying! I preferred many others by them, including their breakthrough hit here in the States, "Hungry Like The Wolf".
EXTRA: SPILL THE WINE - ERIC BURDON AND WAR - Interesting story about how this song came to be, and how this song more than compensated for the bill resulting from the very incident!
12: I'M STILL STANDING - ELTON JOHN (14) - I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #12, considering it got a ton of airplay during the summer of 1983, and definitely had a summer feel to it. Must have been a poor seller. Anyway, I liked this song - one of his best 80s hits!
11: FAMILY MAN - HALL & OATES (8) - Meh, not one of their better hits by a longshot. My least favorite of their 1983 hits. The duo was the #1 act on the previous week's Top 40 Acts of the 1980s countdown, which Premiere featured earlier this years as a Memorial Day bonus show.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS - Of course, AT40 usually played the single version of the song which I preferred, because it pretty much got straight to the point, without all the instrumental mumbo jumbo and the spelling of "Safety", as if we didn't know how to spell it.
10: OUR HOUSE - MADNESS (13) - This was the first of two hits with which this British band charted here in the states (although they are often regarded as a one-hit wonder, as not many people know their second hit, "It Must Be Love"). I prefer this song, which I remember hearing on the radio all the time back in the summer of 1983. Just a few years ago, I learned the meaning of the line "the kids are playing up downstairs". For the longest time, I meant that it meant that they were running up and down the stairs, but "playing up" is actually a British term for "misbehaving" (commonly referred to as "acting up")
9: DON'T LET IT END - STYX (6) - Their second and final Top 40 hit from Kilroy Was Here. This was also my favorite of the two, since Mr. Roboto was pretty much played out, although, as I've stated before, it can be hard for me to listen to this song and, on several occasions, I've had to turn the volume down during the first verse. The song isn't quite as depressing once the beat picks up right before the first chorus.
8: COME DANCING - THE KINKS (11) - An act who was part of both British invasions. Though the Kinks were more famous for their '60s and early-70s hits, this was actually their biggest hit. It had tied "Tired Of Waiting For You" for its peak of #6, weeks at the peak (2) and weeks in the Top Ten. "Tired", however, spent only eight weeks in the Top 40 and this song bested that by four weeks. Anyway, this is one of my favorite songs from them.
LDD: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS - This song, which had peaked at #12 earlier in the year, fit the dedication like a glove, as it was from a girl to her parents, all of whom were going through tough times, but as the song said, it would be all right and they were going to make it.
7: TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART) - CULTURE CLUB (4) - This was only their second hit and they were already on a roll. Of their Kissing To Be Clever singles, this would probably be my favorite.
6: WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHING - MICHAEL JACKSON (9) - Well, he had definitely long since started a long string of hits, and it would not be finished anytime soon! This wasn't bad, but I found it sort of annoying - especially the album version, which seemed to go on and on. Fortunately, AT40 usually, if not always, played the single edit, which was nearly two minutes shorter.
5: TOO SHY - KAJAGOOGOO (7) - I don't think I need to remind you how annoying I think this song is, do I?
4: NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO - SERGIO MENDES (5) - Today, this song would be billed as "Sergio Mendes featuring Joe Pizzulo & Leeza Miller". This was a somewhat overplayed song that I loved to death at first, but eventually got tired of it. I do like it now; the synth bridge after the second verse is great! Too bad they cut it out, making for a poor edit in the process.
3: FLASHDANCE….WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA (1) - The aforementioned title track to the Adrian Lyne-directed movie. A great song, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, as this song was played out during the summer of 1983.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: LAWYERS IN LOVE - JACKSON BROWNE - The highest debut of the week (at #59), this was the title track of Browne's seventh album. I preferred it over the follow-up, "Tender Is The Night", but it's still not one of my favorites from him.
2: ELECTRIC AVENUE - EDDIE GRANT (3) - Another one of the most played songs of the summer of 1983 (It was #1 on WLS for three or four weeks). It was a good one, although I did get tired of hearing it no less than ten times a day.
1: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE (2) - And this was the most overplayed song of them all. It still is, too. I'm not sure how a song about stalking managed to spend two months at #1, but whatever.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - July 13, 2024

This week's presentation - July 17, 1976

40: LOVE HANGOVER - DIANA ROSS (21) - She had two number one hits in 1976, and the first one, "Theme From Mahogany" would easily be my favorite of them. This one just never did anything for me.
39: ANOTHER RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK - CHICAGO (debut) - This was the first single from their tenth album, but radio stations were ignoring this song in favor of "If You Leave Me Now", compelling Columbia to stop promoting this song and rush-release IYLMN instead. As a result, this song only got as high as #32. It was a good one, but I preferred the second single.
38: TODAY'S THE DAY - AMERICA (23) - This song peaked at #23 the week before and nearly falls out of the Top 40 this week. I'm surprised it peaked so low, as WLS played this one all the time back in the day.
37: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (debut) - Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart. This was the second single from the album, which would go on to become the top album of the entire year. This song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from what would become the top album of the year.
36: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (40) - The brother of half of the duo that we'll be hearing later was en route to peaking at #2 with the first hit for him, along with his "sidekick". This was my favorite song from them. (Please, don’t even get me started on how Barry Manilow totally messed this song up about 20 years later with his dance remake...)
35: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - TAVARES (39) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song.
34: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY (36) - This song was taking baby steps up the chart at this point. Little did anyone know that this song would eventually pick up steam and go all the way to #1.
33: SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL - ARETHA FRANKLIN (35) - I don't remember this song back in the day - the first version of this one that I heard was En Vogue's remake from the summer of 1992. That one would be more successful, hitting the Top Ten while this version would peak at #28 a few weeks later. This one wasn't bad, but sounds kind of dated - I preferred said remake.
32: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS (37) - This song would just miss hitting #1, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever.
31: THIS MASQUERADE - GEORGE BENSON (debut) - A nice, mellow chill-out type song, as was his next release, the instrumental "Breezin'". Too bad the latter didn't hit the Top 40.
30: GET UP AND BOOGIE - SILVER CONVENTION (19) - This was one of those songs that Casey mentioned it looked like it could hit #1 in the near future. Well, the song did manage to squeeze up to #2, but the #1 song was just too strong for it (it had to be a strong one to become the top song of the entire year!)
29: SOPHISTICATED LADY - NATALIE COLE (31) - I was taking a shower when this song was playing, so I don't remember how this one goes. I do vaguely recall that it wasn't anything exceptional, and that I preferred her material from the '80s and '90s.
28: YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON (30) - The tenth and last (as well as biggest) hit for this American soul and gospel singer from Hanceville, Alabama. It was a pretty good song IMO.
27: I NEED TO BE IN LOVE - CARPENTERS (29) - They weren't quite as big as they were earlier in the decade, but their songs were still great, like this one, which peaked at #25 a week later.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUMMER - WAR - I always thought this one was released a little too late - it should have been put out in May so it would hit the chart in time for summer. The song had debuted on the Hot 100 the week before and would hit the AT40 chart two weeks later. The song peaked at #7 on the weekend after the fall equinox. I wonder if the song would have done any better if released earlier. No matter; it did hit the Top Ten.
26: LAST CHILD - AEROSMITH (28) - Here's one I remember hearing from time to time back in the day. Good song, but I generally prefer their 80s and 90s hits
25: YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN' - BEE GEES (debut) - They were in the midst their second wave of popularity at this point, as this song, like "Jive Talkin'" the year before, would end up hitting #1. It was so/so, but I preferred other hits from them, especially from Saturday Night Fever.
24: I'M EASY - KEITH CARRADINE (26) - Meh, sounds more like second-rate Jim Croce. I used to like this song, but not much anymore.
EXTRA: JUMPIN' JACK FLASH - ROLLING STONES - Actually, the song played as the second Optional Extra (tie-in story about the Rolling Stones becoming the loudest rock band in history) was "Brown Sugar".
23: DON'T GO BREAKIN' MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (debut) - Believe it or not, the Bee Gees' latest was not the highest debut. Oddly enough, neither was this one, which was the first of two duets from Elton and Kiki. This great song wasted absolutely no time hitting the #1 spot, where it would hold for the entire month of August (it was even bigger on R&R, spending seven weeks on top, which was a record at the time). This song was all over the radio back in the summer of 1976, but I never got tired of it.
22: LET HIM IN - PAUL McCARTNEY AND WINGS (debut) - Now THIS was the highest debut this week. Oddly enough, while the two other debuts in the 20s were #1 songs, this one would not be. It would peak at #3 in August, which still wasn't too shabby. Anyway, this was the first of three songs in this week's survey represented by Paul McCartney. Not sure whether I prefer this song or the one by the Beatles. Either way, I prefer many other songs featuring McCartney.
21: SARA SMILE - HALL & OATES (9) - The first of a whole slew of Top 40 hits from the duo. This one definitely had a lot of mileage, as it had been on the chart since early April. The song is not bad, but definitely not one of their best, IMO.
20: NEVER GONNA FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ERIC CARMEN (11) - Darn, the song just barely missed hitting the Top Ten! This was Carmen's second hit and the follow-up to the #2 hit "All By Myself". I preferred this song - one of Carmen's best hits ever!
19: TURN THE BEAT AROUND - VICKI SUE ROBINSON (22) - There definitely is not much difference between this and Gloria Estefan's cover 18 years later. That said, I don't know which version I prefer.
18: YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND - QUEEN (20) - You know what, I can’t believe this song didn’t hit the Top Ten - it sure got a lot of airplay. Although that depends on the radio stations in your area. I listened to WLS a lot and that song peaked at #4 on their station’s playlist. I still hear this on oldies station every now and then, which is good, because this is one of my favorites from Queen.
17: TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER - PARLIAMENT (24) - Gerardo sampled this song - or was it a remake? I never really paid much attention to that song, so it was kind of hard to tell. As for this song, it pretty much blends in with all the faceless disco music during this era.
16: GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (18) - This was the song I mentioned earlier by England Dan's brother, Jim Seals, who sort of sounded like he had a runny nose in this song
15: MISTY BLUE - DOROTHY MOORE (7) - This song was written in the mid-sixties, which definitely shows, as it sounds like a song from that era. The song's OK, but nothing exceptional.
14: IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - NEIL DIAMOND (17) - This song has sort of a theatrical sound to it, as if Jim Steinman had produced it. I liked this song, but there are a few other songs from Diamond that I prefer.
13: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - THIN LIZZY (16) - Here's another one of my personal faves from back in 1976 (yes, I liked hard rock when I was as young as four years old, lol!)
12: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN - STEVE MILLER BAND (14) - The first of three Top Twenty hits from Miller's Fly Like An Eagle album. This one narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten. This song was OK, IMO, but I preferred the other two singles from said album.
11: LET HER IN - JOHN TRAVOLTA (12) - He currently had a gig as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter, but he showed his second talent on this week's chart with his debut hit. It was a good one and would hit the Top Ten the following week.
10: ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC - BEACH BOYS (15) - This song definitely showed that, even though the sixties was clearly their decade, they still had it in the 70s!
9: SILLY LOVE SONGS - WINGS (6) - This was the aforementioned song that prevented Silver Convention from collecting their second number one hit. The song wasted no time hitting the top, but dropped out after only one week up there. The only thing is, it wasn't over for this song - after a two-week hiatus, the song would return to #1 for an additional four weeks and, as stated earlier, would become the top song of 1976. The song's OK, but I prefer many other songs from them, my favorite being "With A Little Luck", which would also hit #1.
8: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - BEATLES (10) - Here's one I remember quite well, since it was #1 on the station I listened to back in 1976 - WLS in Chicago, so I heard it all the time that summer. It was a great song! Casey mentioned that this was the first time that an artist was back-to-back on the charts singing in different bands.
7: SHOP AROUND - THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE (4) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Miracles.
6: LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (8) - 1976 was a great year for Mr. Wright, as he had two hits, both of which would peak at #2. I prefer this one, as "Dream Weaver" is a little overplayed, yet you don't really hear this one very much anymore, outside of countdown shows.
5: MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT - STARBUCK (13) - This was the biggest mover of the week, the first of Starbuck's two Top 40 hit, and clearly the biggest of them. I preferred this one over "Everybody Be Dancin'", which charted the following year.
4: MORE, MORE, MORE - ANDREA TRUE CONECTION (5) - Of their two Top 40 hits, I preferred this song. The Canadian alternative rock band Len apparently liked it as well, as they sampled it in their big 1999 hit "Steal My Sunshine".
3: I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU - BROTHERS JOHNSON (3) - The first Top 40 hit for this soul duo from Los Angeles. This is my favorite song by them, which isn't saying much, as I disliked their three other hits. I preferred the cover by Quincy Jones featuring Chaka Khan and Ray Charles, which hit the charts in early 1990.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROOTS, ROCK, REGGAE - BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS Odd that this renowned reggae artist never hit the Top 40, but his kid, Ziggy and his grandkid, Skip did make it. What's even more baffling is that this was Bob's only Hot 100 appearance. The song was pretty good IMO.
2: KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - MANHATTANS (2) - This song looked like it would hit #1 this week, with its huge jump into the runner-up spot the week before. As we all know, I find this song depressing, especially the spoken part at the beginning. There were a few weeks that they skipped over that part, but. unfortunately, this wasn't one of those weeks. No - give me their other Top Ten hit "Shining Star" any day.
1: AFTERNOON DELIGHT - STARLAND VOCAL BAND (1) - At least this is a more cheerful song - one about engaging in a quickie with your significant other during your lunch break. This is another song I remember quite well (needless to say, I had no idea what it was really about, though, being only four years old and all).

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - July 13, 2024

This week's presentation - July 16, 1988

TOMORROW PEOPLE - ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS (39) - Well, his dad, reggae great Bob Marley, might not have made the chart, but he did manage to have one Top 40 hit, albeit barely, as this was its only week on the chart. Ziggy's son, Skip, as a featured artist on Katy Perry's "Chained To The Rhythm", had the most success, as that song made the Top Ten back in 2017. Anyhoo, I really liked this song, which says a lot, considering I’m not a big fan of reggae music. A funny thing about this song - the first time I heard it, it was on a very statical radio station. I could have sworn he was singing, “Don’t want no femur wearing your pants”.
CIRCLE IN THE SAND - BELINDA CARLISLE (37) - This was Belinda's fourth and final Top Ten hit. This one was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990.
ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (30) - This was Prince's last hit for about a year, before he came back with three songs from the Batman soundtrack in 1989. This song was OK, but far from being his best.

40: SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE – ROBERT PALMER (debut) - Meh, not a fan of this song - was way overplayed, and it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place.
39: TROUBLE – NIA PEEPLES (35) - This was pretty much your typical late-80s dance track. But I thought it was a pretty good one.
38: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (32) - 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, and straight to #1 it went. This is definitely one of his best solo hits.
37: FAST CAR – TRACY CHAPMAN (debut) - Sounded kind of out of place for Top 40 music at the time - in fact, the week before this show, I tuned in late to one of the other shows I was listening to at the time (“Countdown USA”), heard this song, and thought my radio station was being overpowered by another station. One of at least three occasions that this happened. Anyway, I thought this song, which reminded me a little of "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens, was a good song - much better than her ad nauseum played "Give Me One Reason".
36: MONKEY – GEORGE MICHAEL (debut) - The fourth release from George's Faith album and, like the other three, it went to #1 in no time. Not bad, but I prefer many others from him, both solo and with Wham!
35: LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY – WHITNEY HOUSTON (40) - This song would end up breaking her streak of #1 hits, like I sort of figured it would, based on the fact that it didn't start off as strong as her #1 songs (its relatively weak chart jump this week is a perfect example). I sure didn't expect it to miss by so much, though - it barely even touched the Top Ten, and failed to make the year-end countdown. I wasn't terribly disappointed, as this was not one of her best songs by any means.
34: TALL COOL ONE – ROBERT PLANT (26) - Ah, the lead singer of the legendary Led Zeppelin. This was pretty good - the part at the end, with a montage of guitar riffs from many of their classic hits, was really cool!
33: RAG DOLL - AEROSMITH (38) - Their third and final hit from Permanent Vacation. This one was so/so, but I much preferred "Angel", which had hit #3 earlier in the year.
32: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (20) - One of several heavy metal songs on this week's countdown. I'll bet this was a highlight for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, too, as well as the follow-up "Back To The Cave".
31: BEDS ARE BURNING – MIDNIGHT OIL (23) - This was one of several Aussie bands on the chart this week. I remember hearing this song all the time in early 2001 on Chicago's 94.7 The Zone - a then-80s station that had the skimpiest variety of music. One day (March 10, 2001, to be exact), when I was out for a leisurely drive, I must have heard the song at least three times. No wonder that format didn't last long on that station! As for the song, it's a good one, so at least it wasn't a crappy song that was overplayed.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: KNOCKED OUT - PAULA ABDUL - This was Paula Abdul's debut single and it just barely missed the Top 40, peaking at #41 in August. Her next release fared even worse, peaking at #88, but third time was a charm, as she finally caught on in a major way - in fact, I believe on the heels of the success of her #1 songs and the Top Five peak of the re-released "The Way That You Love Me", they gave this song another try as well, though it did not chart here in the states on its second release. As for the song, it was OK, but definitely not her best song.
30: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (19) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. This one was more or less a watered-down version of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I preferred the next hit from the Whenever You Need Somebody album, "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". The title track was also a great song, but that one wasn't released in the US, which I thought was a shame (though as I recall, that was a decent-sized hit on the dance chart).
29: THE TWIST – THE FAT BOYS (36) - Meh, they should have left this one alone...
28: I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY – KYLIE MINOGUE (33) - The first hit from the first wave of popularity from this Melbourne, Australia native. This and "It's No Secret" were my two favorite of her 80s hits.
27: LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) – CLIMIE FISHER (34) - One of several one-hit wonders on the chart this week and this is one of them. This was a good song - sounds a little like a song Rod Stewart would sing.
26: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (18) - This was her first of two Top 40 hits - and she almost had a third hit, her duet with George Lamond called "No Matter What", but that one ran out of gas at #49 - too bad, as that was my favorite song from her. This, however, was a close second, as it was a great one!
25: THE COLOUR OF LOVE – BILLY OCEAN (29) - His first hit from Tear Down These Walls hit #1, and I was hoping this one would follow suit, but it only got as high as #17 (at least it hit the Top 20). This was definitely one of my favorites from him.
24: DO YOU LOVE ME – THE CONTOURS (28) - This was originally a #3 hit in 1962, but thanks to its inclusion on the More Dirty Dancing, it had a second run on the charts, this time around, just missing the Top Ten. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the updated version, which AT40 would occasionally play.
23: I DON’T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - CHICAGO (31) - The first of five singles from Chicago 19 (although I believe that "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" was released from their Greatest Hits album - but I could be wrong). Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred the other four (including "We Can Last Forever", which didn't quite hit the Top 40, but was a Top 20 AC hit).
22: JUST GOT PAID – JOHNNY KEMP (25) - One of two Top 40 hits from this R&B singer from the Bahamas. It was OK - your typical late-80s dance music.
21: I DON’T WANNA GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT – ELTON JOHN (27) - The second of two "I Don't Wanna" songs on the survey - and those songs pretty much climbed the chart together. I liked this song, but preferred many others from him.
20: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (11) - 1988 seemed to be the year for the rare "last single with most success" - from an album that spawned three or more hits, that is. This was almost the case with their album Magic, as the first three singles from the album hit the Top Twenty, including two Top Tens. This song went on to peak at #4. However, they did release a fifth hit from Magic, "Sendin' All My Love", but that song tanked at #88 and lasted but four weeks on the Hot 100. They should have quit while they were ahead. Anyway, this was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS 'N ROSES - This song was debuting on the corresponding Radio & Records chart this week, at #40 and was poised to break into the Top 40 of the Hot 100 the following week at #34. This is the song that started the chart career of this hard rock band from LA, and remains their biggest hit to date. It's a good song - one of my favorites from them.
19: 1-2-3 – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (24) - Could she have been counting the Top Ten songs they'd scored with their Let It Loose album? Well, this would make it number four, as it sailed straight into the Top Ten as well.
18: PARADISE - SADE (22) - Sade was mainly a smooth jazz and AC artist, as well as R&B (in fact, this song was on top of that chart this week), but they did have a handful of Top 40 hits - four, to be exact (well, before the PPW era, anyway) and all of them hit the Top 20. This one just barely squeaked in, peaking at #20 in July. It was a great song - my favorite of their hits!
17: PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND – D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE (21) - Like Fresh Prince in the first story, about school shopping, I was sixteen back when this song was popular, so I could definitely relate (although my Mom never bought me school clothes from two generations prior)! I liked this song - this was back when rap was still tolerable.
16: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (9) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is.
15: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (5) - This one set a record, as the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album.
14: SIGN YOUR NAME – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (17) - This and "Wishing Well" are pretty much the only two songs by him that I like. I preferred this one - had a somewhat haunting sound to it.
LDD: KEY LARGO – BERTIE HIGGINS
13: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (7) - This could have been yet another example of the "last single with most success" phenomenon, as this was the only #1 song from Out Of The Blue, but while she was still hot, she decided to release a fifth single - which didn't even hit the Top 20 (didn't upset me too terribly, as I wasn't crazy about the song). Such was not the case with this great song, though - this one most definitely one of her best hits ever.
12: LOST IN YOU – ROD STEWART (13) - Here's an artist who had been hitting the charts for two decades, and his hit streak was far from over. This one didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it didn't miss by much, peaking at #12 the previous week. It was a great one - possibly my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from the Out Of Order album.
11: RUSH HOUR – JANE WIEDLIN (15) - The second of the Go-Gos to hit the Top 40 with a solo hit. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite as successful as bandmate Belinda Carlisle, as this was her only Top 40 hit. It was a great song - too bad her follow-up "Inside A Dream" only got as high as #57, since I preferred that song.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: PLEASE DON'T GO GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - The debut hit from this boyband that would be all the rage with the pre-teen girls over the next two years. Honestly – just about every young girl I knew had a favorite New Kid. They were way overrated, IMO, but they did have a few decent songs. This one was OK, but a little too whiny, like many “please don't go” types of songs (KC & The Sunshine Band come to mind)
10: NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (6) - This song hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100, peaking here at #6, but just missed on the R&R chart. Poison didn't have their first Top Ten on that chart until "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which went all the way to the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs by Poison!
9: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL – ERIC CARMEN (16) - On several occasions, they cut out the second verse in this song (my favorite of the three), such was the case this week. Definitely my favorite of Carmen's two 1988 hits ("Hungry Eyes" was too overplayed, which I guess is understandable, since it was from a very popular movie soundtrack).
8: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (14) - When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later.
7: NITE AND DAY – AL B. SURE (10) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam - much better than his upbeat songs (like "Off On Your Own Girl"). I liked the synthesizer used in this song.
6: ROLL WITH IT – STEVE WINWOOD (12) - It’s true I hated it when it first came out, but then I gradually started to like it more and more. This is a great one to crank up while driving (but not too loud, especially in cities with noise ordinances, lol!)
5: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (8) - Here's another rare example of the final release from a multi-singles album being the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender.
4: NEW SENSATION - INXS (4) - 1988 had an unusually high number of Aussie acts, INXS being by far the most successful, with all four of their hits making the Top Ten. I'm not generally a huge fan of them, but I actually liked this song.
3: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME – DEF LEPPARD (3) - They'd had moderate success on the Top 40 charts with the Pyromania album, but it was the Hysteria album that REALLY put them on the map. This was their first Top Five hit and looked like it would hit #1, but Richard Marx leapfrogged over them the following week with his hit that we heard back at #5. No matter; they would top the chart with their next single "Love Bites". Not sure if I preferred that one or this.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE - THE MOODY BLUES - I had been hearing this song on U93 since the beginning of summer and was wondering if it would ever hit the Top 40. Well, it finally did the following week, though it only got as high as #30. As I've mentioned in my past commentaries, my favorite songs of theirs were from the 1980s and this was no exception.
2: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (2) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). Anyway, I was kind of surprised that this song didn’t quite make it to #1, given its big jump to the runner-up position the week before (when Casey even mentioned that it looked like the song was going to hit #1).
1: THE FLAME – CHEAP TRICK (1) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices".

[dukelightning]

If the date Hervard wrote for this show were correct, all the Casey hosted shows for that date in the first run of AT40 would have been played in the last 2 weeks. By the way, the next show with that date was also the last one in the first run heard in the US, the 7/9/94 AT40. 7/16/88 is the date of the show of course.

[mrjukebox]

In 2023,Luke Combs reached the pop,country,& adult contemporary charts with his rendition of "Fast Car"-He won a Grammy award for his efforts.

[mrjukebox]

The Fat Boys rendition of "The Twist" is nothing to write home about-I wonder what Chubby Checker thought of it.