Chart Critiques

[mrjukebox]

Pablo Cruise would be considered part of the yacht rock scene.

[mrjukebox]

Hervard-Your critique of songs # 15 & # 14 are the same as # 13-It looks like you goofed.

[mrjukebox]

"Endless Love" reached the top forty again in 1994 by Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey-Their version peaked at # 2.

[dukelightning]

Hervard-One of the droppers in the 1981 show was incorrect. "In the Air Tonight" was at #21. The hit that dropped out instead of that was "All Those Years Ago". And that was why I was looking at the critique in the first place. A Beatles piece was on another show and I just remembered that Years was not on the 1981 show so I was curious if it was one of the droppers.

[Hervard]

Aug 12, 2024 9:19:10 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Hervard-One of the droppers in the 1981 show was incorrect. "In the Air Tonight" was at #21. The hit that dropped out instead of that was "All Those Years Ago". And that was why I was looking at the critique in the first place. A Beatles piece was on another show and I just remembered that Years was not on the 1981 show so I was curious if it was one of the droppers.

I think I listed "In The Air Tonight" since, on the critique for August 1, I had the LW position listed as #19 and, since that made it look like a descending song, I posted it, thinking in the back of my mind that I could have sworn that it didn't drop off until September. I had plans that afternoon and wasn't paying close attention. The error has been amended.

[Hervard]

I've got a busy weekend ahead, so I decided, while I have a breather, to post my commentaries a little earlier than usual.

American Top 40: The 70s - August 17, 2024

This week's presentation - August 19, 1978

Droppers:
RUNAWAY - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (38) - I believe this was their final Top 40 hit featuring Marty Balin on lead vocals. I liked this song, but slightly preferred "Count On Me", which had charted earlier in the year. Both are great songs, IMO.
THE GROOVE LINE - HEATWAVE (37) - aka "Boogie Nights Part 2". No big loss, as I wasn't a huge fan of the song (or the one to which it was the sequel), but their ballad "Always And Forever", which charted between those two songs, was a great one.
MR. BLUE SKY - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (35) - Not one of their more successful hits by any means, which is a shame, as this was IMO one of their best songs ever!
I'VE HAD ENOUGH - WINGS (25) - I forget how this song goes, but I seem to remember it was mediocre - in any case, not as good as their #1 hit from earlier in 1978.
STILL THE SAME - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (23) - Well, he dropped out this week, but he replaced himself with his second hit from Stranger In Town. This song was by far my favorite single from that album, as well as one of my favorite songs by him/them of all time!
USE TA BE MY GIRL - THE O'JAYS (22) - One of two droppers this week that was in the Top Ten two weeks prior (Bob Seger being the other one). I was never a huge fan of the O'Jays, but I actually liked this song a lot - possibly my all-time favorite from them.

40: OH DARLIN' - ROBIN GIBB (debut) - The first Top 40 hit from Gibb as a solo artist. This is one of the three Top 40 hits from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack (the first of two in the countdown this week). This one wasn't bad, but I preferred his other Top 40 hit from four years later, entitled "Boys Do Fall In Love".
39: WHENEVER I CALL YOU FRIEND - KENNY LOGGINS & STEVIE NICKS (debut) - YES!! This is possibly my favorite song on this week's chart - definitely one of my favorites from both artists involved!
38: HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (debut) - I don't remember this song from its chart run as I remember hearing it on the Stranger In Town album, which my Mom played all the time back in 1979. It's a pretty good song, but, as I mentioned earlier, the only single from the album that I really liked was "Still The Same". Too bad that song dropped out this week. There were several other songs on the album that I felt should have been released as singles.
37: ROCK & ROLL FANTASY - THE KINKS (debut) - Their comeback Top 40 hit, after being absent from the chart since their Top Ten anthem "Lola" in 1971. This song got as high as #30, but they'd be back about four and a half years later with what would become their biggest hit ever, "Come Dancing". As for this song, it was pretty good, but I preferred Bad Company's song of the same title from the following summer.
36: YOU'RE A PART OF ME - GENE COTTON & KIM CARNES (36) - This was the one that put Carnes on the map, but the best was yet to come for her. However, that was more than could be said for Gene Cotton, as he only had one more chart entry after this. Anyway, this song's OK, but I preferred other songs from both artists.
35: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY (debut) - Murray's only #1 hit on the Hot 100. It was a rather slow climber - it wouldn't hit the top until three months later (ironically, the song it knocked out of the top spot held the record at the time for THE slowest climb to #1). As for my opinion of this song - well, it was during her heyday, which started with this song, so I liked it a lot - one of my all-time faves from her!
34: JUST WHAT I NEEDED - THE CARS (39) - This song has aged quite well. Given all the airplay it receives on oldies and rock stations, I'm surprised that it peaked so low.
33: BAKER STREET - GERRY RAFFERTY (16) - This song almost made it to #1 (in fact, it has been said that the original version of one of the charts at which this song was #2 (may have been the previous week) had this song at #1, but a last minute revision placed it at #2. Anyway, I used to really like this song, but overplay pretty much did it in.
32: CLOSE THE DOOR - TEDDY PENDERGRASS (40) - This was pretty much your typical old school R&B. It was pleasant, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
31: RIVERS OF BABYLON - BONEY M (33) - The third Top 40 hit that borrowed passages from the bible to use in their lyrics (in this case, Psalm 137).
30: SHADOW DANCIN' - ANDY GIBB (15) - With eighteen Top 40 weeks so far, seven of those at #1, it's no wonder that this song became the top song of 1978. The song wasn't bad, but it didn't hold a candle to his song that's coming up later in the show.
29: SUMMER NIGHTS - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - The second of two top 40 duets for the stars of the movie Grease. Of those two songs, it would be my favorite (though "You're The One That I Want" is a great one as well).
28: REMINISCING - LITTLE RIVER BAND (34) - The first of two Top Ten hits from their album Sleeper Catcher. It's a great one but, of course, I preferred "Lady".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T LOOK BACK - BOSTON - Larry mentioned how this was their highest ranked song so far. It would hold that honor for eight years, until their successful comeback in 1986. I've somehow come to like this song better than I had previously (as I never cared for it).
27: MACHO MAN - VILLAGE PEOPLE (31) - Meh, not a big fan of this one. It's more tolerable than their next top 40 hit, though
26: TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE - EDDIE MONEY (30) - As usual, they played a different version of this song than was usually heard on the radio (the single version, I would imagine). I remember hearing this one quite regularly back in the day. I liked it, but I preferred several others from the Money Man.
25: YOU - RITA COOLIDGE (27) - I noticed that this song's verses have a slightly similar melody as that of "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO (which, of course, drops out this week). Though not quite as good as her two 1977 Top Ten hits, it's still a great song nevertheless.
24: LOVE IS IN THE AIR - JOHN PAUL YOUNG (32) - As we know all too well, I'm not a disco fan, but this song was actually a pretty good song - one I remember from back in the day.
23: STUFF LIKE THAT - QUINCY JONES (26) - Meh, nothing special - sounds like most of the disco material from the late-70s.
22: YOU AND I - RICK JAMES (28) - And another such song right here by a man who had the most success on the R&B chart. He he did have a handful of Top 40 hits, though, and this was the most successful of them, peaking at #13.
21: HOT CHILD IN THE CITY - NICK GILDER (24) - This was the song I was talking about earlier that set the record for the longest climb to #1 - a record it held by itself until a little less than a year later. It was a good song - had that summertime feel to it. Had Gilder known how long it was going to take to reach the top, I wonder if he would have released it several months earlier.
20: STAY - JACKSON BROWNE (20) - Interesting how Browne changed the lyrics around to be addressing his audience instead of a loved one, like in the original. As for the song, it's not bad, but I preferred "The Load Out", which some radio stations play right before this song, as that's how Browne usually does this song in his concerts.
19: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (29) - Of course, the best version of this one was the one by the Beatles (which we heard on last week's 1976 show), but this one was actually a good version too.
18: FOOL IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER - CHRIS REA (21) - Here's a good song I remember quite well. About ten years after he charted with this, he recorded a new version, which did not do justice to the original at all.
17: KING TUT - STEVE MARTIN (19) - Glad he didn't quit his acting job! Just saying!
16: KISS YOU ALL OVER - EXILE (18) - 1978 was definitely a good year for producer Mike Chapman, as he had at least two songs that topped the chart that fall (back-to-back, nonetheless). This was the first of them. Of the two, I preferred the Nick Gilder song.
15: SHAME - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING (19) - Her first of four Top 40 hits. It's not bad, but my favorite song from her is "Love Come Down", which hit the Top 20 in the fall of 1982.
14: I'M NOT GONNA LET IT BOTHER ME TONIGHT - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (14) - I thought most of their songs were good, but this one was somewhat mediocre. Definitely nowhere near as good as "So In To You" or "Imaginary Lover".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BACK IN THE USA - LINDA RONSTADT - I can't say whether I prefer this or Chuck Berry's version, since I've never heard the latter. Linda's version was so/so, but definitely not one of her best.
13: MY ANGEL BABY - TOBY BEAU (13) - It was a group, not a solo male, like many people thought (such was the case with Pablo Cruise, coming up in the Top Ten). The song was pretty good.
12: LIFE'S BEEN GOOD - JOE WALSH (12) - Not sure why, but this song never really did anything for me. I wasn't a huge Joe Walsh fan anyway.
11: HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (11) - This week's chart was extremely tight at the top half - in fact, the entire Top 14 was in holding pattern this week. That means that, even after a nice jump of seven places last week, this song holds in place (don't worry, this is not where it peaked). Anyway, this was a special song between my former girlfriend and myself - it took awhile to be able to enjoy this song once again after we broke up, but that all changed back in May of 2016, when our paths crossed and she and I actually recently had a brief conversation, letting me know that we were at least back on speaking terms again.
10: EVERLASTING LOVE - ANDY GIBB (10) - This song wasn't peaking this week neither, although it didn't quite make it to the top, breaking Gibb's #1 streak. This would be a close second to "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" as my favorite song from Gibb. Glad that they did not edit the song, as they usually played a version that went right from the first verse to the last chorus, which repeats to the fade.
9: MAGNET & STEEL - WALTER EGAN (9) - This song lost its bullet this week, so it looked like it might be done. However, it did manage to climb one spot higher. Stevie Nicks, who this song was said to be about, was heard singing back-up on this song, which somehow, I associate more with the fall of 1978 instead of the summer (probably because that was when WLS played the song; it peaked on their survey in late October).
8: COPACABANA - BARRY MANILOW (8) - Definitely a departure from his usual ballad style. In fact, the rush release of this song while "Even Now" was still on its way up the chart caused the latter to tank (which wasn't really a bad thing, as "Even Now" wasn't one of his better hits anyway, IMO). This was a good one.
7: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - PABLO CRUISE (7) - Here is that band I mentioned earlier whose name could be mistaken for a person. I remember this one quite well from back in the day. A great song, though I slightly preferred "What'cha Gonna Do", from the previous summer.
6: BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE - A TASTE OF HONEY (6) - Even an eleven-spot move the week before didn't stop this song from hitting the brick wall that the entire Top 14 hit this week. But, like most of those songs, this one happened to recover, and went all the way to the top. Glad that they played this song intact (as they seemed to cut out the second verse more often than not), as it was a great song - my favorite of their two Top Ten hits.
ELVIS PRESLEY TRIBUTE: MYSTERY TRAIN - Not bad, but I generally preferred his #1 songs.
5: HOT-BLOODED - FOREIGNER (5) - Of course, this song's intro is very similar to the Pablo Cruise song back at #7. Of their three singles from Double Vision, this would be my least favorite, but it's a great song nevertheless.
4: MISS YOU - ROLLING STONES (4) - This song must have had a little juice left in it if it was able to keep so many fast-rising songs at bay on the chart. I was not a big fan of this song by any means, but I liked their other disco song, which would hit the Top Five two years later.
3: LAST DANCE - DONNA SUMMER (3) - I like this song, though it’s somehow kind of depressing - probably since I always associate this with the end of the summer and school starting again (since I heard it a lot when I was starting first grade - one of the toughest transitions ever!)
OPTIONAL EXTRA: RIGHT DOWN THE LINE - GERRY RAFFERTY - This was his second chart entry, as well as his second highest charting song. Of the songs of his that I'm familiar with, this would be my favorite.
2: GREASE – FRANKIE VALLI (2) - The title track to one of the biggest movie soundtracks ever was on its way to the top. It's OK, but I prefer several other songs from him, both solo and with the Four Seasons.
1: THREE TIMES A LADY - COMMODORES (1) - Over on the R&R chart, this song was in the midst of a six-week run at #1. Here on the Hot 100, it would be #1 for two weeks (and spend the next four weeks in the runner-up position after falling out). I loved this song - so did a lot of other people, as it became a very popular LDD song (and was played at many wedding receptions as well).

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - August 17, 2024

This week's presentation - August 17, 1985

FIND A WAY - AMY GRANT (39) - This was Amy's first crossover Top 40 hit, but there was more where that came from - she hit #1 in December of the following year in a duet with Peter Cetera and then, in 1991 and 1992, had a ton of chart success with her album Heart In Motion. I thought this was a great song.
JUST AS I AM - AIR SUPPLY (37) - They were one of the most popular groups around in the early 1980s, but this ended up being their last Top 40 hit, which was a shame, since I liked most of their Top 40 hits, this one included.
SUSSUDIO - PHIL COLLINS (36) - The second of four releases from No Jacket Required. Definitely my least favorite of them - more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, as well as overplayed. In other words, no big loss.
VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY (35) - One of several "two-hit wonders" that charted during the summer of 1985. This was their first, and biggest hit. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred their other hit, "What About Love", from late 1986.
THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR (34) - This song became pretty popular in the LDD department - in fact, it was used as one a few weeks prior. It was a great song, IMO - one of my favorite songs by them, and one that I most associate with the summer of 1985.
19 - PAUL HARDCASTLE (26) - I thought that this was Max Headroom when I first heard it. It wasn't bad, but kind of weird.

LW#1: SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS
40: LAY IT DOWN - RATT (debut) - They just barely escaped "one-hit wonder" status with this song, as this was its only week on the chart. I liked this one a lot better than "Round And Round" (which is also a great song) and felt it was way underrated.
39: CRY - GODLEY & CREME (debut) - "Huh huh - he's faking. He's not really taking a dump!" Yeah, when I saw the episode of Beavis & Butthead with the video to this song, I never saw it the same way again!
38: THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL - EURYTHMICS (debut) - Of course, we know full well that this is my favorite of their Top 40 hits! Lennox's vocals are somewhat theatrical sounding, and Stevie Wonder does a killer harmonica solo in the bridge of the song!
37: WHEN YOUR HEART IS WEAK - COCK ROBIN (debut) - Must! Resist! Inserting! Lecherous! Batman! Joke! Here! But seriously, this song was pretty good, though a little cheesy.
36: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (debut) - Madonna's charting streak, which had been active since September 1, was broken a few weeks back when "Angel" dropped out of the Top 40. However, it continued on the R&R chart, as Madonna replaced herself by debuting with this song as "Into The Groove" stepped off the chart, thus extending her streak there into October. This was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs.
35: LIVE EVERY MOMENT - REO SPEEDWAGON (debut) - Well, the first two hits from Wheels Are Turnin' both hit the Top 20, yet this one couldn't push past #34 (the following week). It wasn't one of my all-time faves from them, though it was still pretty good. I was generally a big fan of their music, especially the power ballads.
34: I WONDER IF I TAKE YOU HOME - LISA LISA & THE CULT JAM w/FULL FORCE - Casey mentioned how this was the first time that three acts that never had a chart hit before joined together and hit the Top 40. Of course, they would hit the Top 40 together the following year with "All Cried Out", (along with two other singers - Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou), then when it was just Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, they had their biggest chart success ever, with two #1 songs. As for this song, it was pretty good, but as we all know, I preferred "All Cried Out" by a wide margin.
33: SHAME - THE MOTELS (40) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit. It was my least favorite of their hits, but was still a great one - that said, it's too bad they didn't have more Top 40 hits.
32: RASPBERRY BERET - PRINCE (21) - 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.
31: A VIEW TO A KILL - DURAN DURAN (19) - 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: TAKE ON ME - A-HA - This was the first hit for this Norwegian act, who's often known as a one-hit wonder, because of this song (as not everyone is familiar with "The Sun Always Shines On TV"). This was a great song, and I'm glad it hit #1!
30: SENTIMENTAL STREET - NIGHT RANGER (17) - 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). I do too, although I also liked the mid-tempo ballads, such as "Four In The Morning" and "Goodbye".
29: LIFE IN ONE DAY - HOWARD JONES (31) - He had his first Top Ten earlier in the year with "Things Can Only Get Better". This one didn't quite make it, but it was his second Top 20 hit, peaking at #19. It was a great song IMO - one of Hojo’s best as well.
28: MYSTERY LADY - BILLY OCEAN (30) - One of only three Top 40 hits during Ocean's chart career that did not hit the Top 20. I guess slow jams like this were passé. Anyway, I thought it was a good song, though certainly not his best.
LDD: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER - Based on the tease of this LDD, I knew that this was going to be the song, and it perfectly fit the LDD, which I found very inspirational!
27: FREEDOM - WHAM (32) - This used to be my favorite song ever since I first heard it in mid-June, 1985, when B-96 gave this song early action, when "Everything You Want" was still in the Top Ten. However, overplay sort of dimmed my like for this song. This song had a normal climb up the BB chart, but was burning up the R&R chart (moved 23-16 this week) until it hit the Top Ten, and it only got as high as #6. I have a feeling that early action on other stations besides B-96 played a role in that. It peaked at #3 on Billboard though, which is surprising, seeing that this was their fourth single from "Make It Big". Usually, sales are quite small for fourth singles, especially from such a successful album as "Make It Big" was. Maybe the fact that the single version was different than the album version (I think) was instrumental in that (wasn't the single version the one with the horn solo at the end (which they played this week), or was that a demo version?)
26: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM - MOTLEY CRUE (33) - Something I got caught doing once back in my sophomore year. Fortunately, the teacher just scoffed and walked off - didn't want to waste his time apparently, so I dodged a bullet there! As for the song, it was a pretty good song, considering I wasn't a huge fan of them.
25: DARE ME - THE POINTER SISTERS (27) - Little did Casey know that four weeks later, he couldn't care less if he never heard this song again. Of course, it was the song after which that the infamous "Dead Dog Dedication" was placed. I actually liked this song, considering that I generally did not like their later hits.
24: POP LIFE - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (29) - This was one of my favorite songs by Prince, but it sure seemed to come and go pretty quickly. It didn't even make the Top 100 of the year, which I thought was a shame. It did a lot better on my Personal Top 30, though, hitting #1 and ranking #4 on the year-ender.
23: MONEY FOR NOTHING - DIRE STRAITS (28) - One of two songs on this week's chart that Sting's involved with (of course, he's the one who wants his MTV). The song was OK, but it was very overplayed. I preferred their three other Top 40 hits, as well as a few album cuts from their first, self-titled album.
22: STATE OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (23) - A rare ballad from Mr. Springfield. I liked it - too bad it wasn't one of his more successful hits, but he had clearly had his day in the sun. His last Top Ten hit was "Love Somebody" from the previous summer.
21: ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE) - FREDDIE JACKSON (18) - He was big on the soul charts (where this one spent six weeks at #1), but he also had a few Pop hits as well. This one, as well as the others, were great, but my favorite song from him was his Christmas song "One Wish".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I GOT YOU BABE - UB40 w/CHRISSIE HYNDE - A very interesting reggae version of the Sonny & Cher classic. Too bad they didn't re-release it later on like they did "Red Red Wine", since it may have done a little better on the charts.
20: YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE - WHITNEY HOUSTON (10) - The first of many, many, many big Top 40 hits for her (it wasn't her first Hot 100 appearance, however, as she sang on a duet with Teddy Pendergrass the year before, called "Hold Me").
19: DON'T LOSE MY NUMBER - PHIL COLLINS (24) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album.
18: YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL (20) - This one wasn't one of my favorites from him, but it definitely had a great message. He even left in a mistake that he made recording this song to prove his point that "you're only human - you're supposed to make mistakes".
17: INVINCIBLE (THE THEME FROM "THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN") - PAT BENATAR (25) - I hope our friend JessieLou was listening this week! This was Benatar's fourth and final Top Ten hit. Anyway, this wasn't quite my favorite song from her, but it was pretty good.
16: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE - DEPECHE MODE (13) - 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.
15: CHERISH - KOOL & THE GANG (22) - This one was number one for six weeks on the AC chart (and I believe was the top song of the year). It also was a huge pop smash, peaking at #2 for three weeks, becoming their second biggest hit behind "Celebration". I liked it - my second of their Emergency singles, behind "Fresh"
14: GET IT ON (BANG A GONG) - THE POWER STATION (9) - Their second of three Top 40 songs they charted with in 1985. I actually preferred this over the mediocre original by T. Rex from 1972.
13: GLORY DAYS - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (7) - Bruce had recently joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as only the third artist to score with five Top Tens from a single album. Bruce wasn't done yet, though - he released two more songs from Born In The USA and those hit the Top Ten at well, tying him with Michael Jackson for the record number of Top Tens from one album. This one used to be so/so, but I've grown to really like this song over the past few years.
12: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (15) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s. This was another high point in the show for JessieLou!
11: YOU SPIN ME AROUND (LIKE A RECORD) - DEAD OR ALIVE (16) - A two-hit wonder band from Liverpool, England. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit (as was this one) about two years later, but this one's pretty good as well (though it's too bad Flo Rida had to go and mess it nearly a quarter of a century later).
10: WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO - TINA TURNER (14) - Like Heart, Tina Turner was definitely most successful on the charts during her 1980s comeback, and this is one of her biggest hits, just missing the top spot, peaking at #2. I thought it was a good song, though I preferred a few of her others.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: AND WE DANCED - THE HOOTERS - I'm assuming that they mean owls, correct? I thought so. Anyway, this was a good song - my favorite of their three Top 40 hits.
9: SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS (12) - Of course, this song told a fictional story, as Adams was only nine years old that summer - he'd be riding bikes and playing touch football, not playing in a band.
8: WHO'S HOLDING DONNA NOW - DEBARGE (6) - It took a few years, but they finally hit the Top Ten in 1985 with "Rhythm Of The Night". This one followed suit, peaking at #6 the week before. This was easily my favorite of the two hits!
LDD: HOOKED ON CLASSICS - THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Interesting choice for a Long Distance Dedication song, as well as an interesting song. This, of course, was without Casey mentioning each piece throughout the song.
7: ST. ELMO'S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) - JOHN PARR (11) - Another two-hit wonder, from Nottingham, England, this was by far the most successful of his two hits (spent two weeks at #1 in September). I thought it wasn't bad, but it sure was overplayed.
6: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY - PAUL YOUNG (2) - 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.
5: FREEWAY OF LOVE - ARETHA FRANKLIN (8) - With none other than Clarence Clemons playing sax, this was Aretha's comeback hit - that put her back into the Top Ten, that is. It was definitely a comeback over on the R&R chart, from where she'd been absent for over eleven years. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album, as well as a few of her songs after that.
4: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE - STING (3) - This song, Sting's first of many solo Top 40 hits, was said to be an antidote to his biggest hit ever, "Every Breath You Take", which he considered "a really nasty song". Whether that's true or not, I'm not completely sure, but either way, I like this song, but generally preferred his 90s hits.
3: NEVER SURRENDER - COREY HART (4) - This was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU - WHITNEY HOUSTON - As mentioned earlier, she had only just begun. As she dropped out of the Top Ten with her first hit, this was on its way up the chart, on its way to becoming her first of many #1 songs. It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her.
2: POWER OF LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (5) - 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.
1: SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS (1) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without.

[mrjukebox]

Huey Lewis had a small acting role in "Back To The Future"-He was one of the judges at the band audition-He turned down Marty Mc Fly's group because "they were too darn loud".

[Hervard]

Aug 18, 2024 18:17:31 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

Huey Lewis had a small acting role in "Back To The Future"-He was one of the judges at the band audition-He turned down Marty Mc Fly's group because "they were too darn loud".

And, of course, it was Huey's own song that he was turning down.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - August 27, 2021

This week's presentation - August 25, 1979

DROPPERS:
YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE - THE JONES GIRLS (38) - wtf did this sound like again?
I WANT YOU TO WANT ME - CHEAP TRICK (31) - I definitely remember this one from back in the day! WLS played it all the time, plus I heard it on the juke box at the beach house that I went to a lot that summer.
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - BLONDIE (27) - No big loss - I was never a big fan of this song - I found it annoying and obnoxious sounding.
HOT STUFF - DONNA SUMMER (19) - Well, I guess people had finally gotten tired of this song, which had spent most of its chart run in the Top Ten, three of those at #1, definitely living up to its title! This was my favorite of Summer's big hits in 1979!

LW#3: THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT – BARBRA STREISAND
LW#2: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK
LW#1: GOOD TIMES – CHIC
40: HOLD ON - TRIUMPH (debut) - The first of two chart entries from this hard rock band from Canada. They were more of an album rock band than anything, as they only had two pop Top 40 hits, neither of which hit the Top 20. Both of them were really good songs, IMO - not sure if I prefer this or "Somebody's Out There".
39: POP MUZIK – M (debut) - Robin Scott tied the band Q for the act with the shortest name - and you sure can't get much shorter than one letter! Anyway, I think that we all know that I'm not a big fan of this song. But many people here do like it and really, more power to you. It just doesn't do anything for me.
38: GIRL OF MY DREAMS – BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY (39) - Like M, a one-hit wonder, only the former went all the way to the top, but this song ran out of gas at #37. Too bad, since it was a good song.
37: LOVIN’, TOUCHIN’, SQUEEZIN’ - JOURNEY (debut) - Remember, they say "na" exactly 154 times in the song. Yes, there was a time that I was so bored that I actually counted them. 22 na's in each group, and there are seven groups of na's, so do the math from there. Anyway, the song is a good one - one of my favorites from them.
LDD: TO SIR WITH LOVE - LULU - Billboard's top song of 1967 - and IIRC, this song was used as a LDD request on more than one occasion. It was a good song, and fitting for the LDD.
36: THE BOSS – DIANA ROSS (40) - No surprise that this was the top disco song in the country, as Ross was indeed a hot disco artist. I wasn't generally a big fan of her disco songs, but I actually liked this one (probably because it wasn't overplayed like some of her other songs).
35: GOLD – JOHN STEWART (18) - Here's one I remember from back in the day! This one featured Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals - making an already great song even better!
34: RISE – HERB ALPERT (debut) - Instrumental songs weren't quite as popular as they were earlier in the decade, but there were still a few that hit the charts - two of them in this week's Top 40. This was the biggest instrumental to chart in 1979, hitting #1 in October. I was glad, as this was my favorites from Alpert.
ARCHIVES: BEST OF MY LOVE – THE EAGLES - They were in the midst of the string of one-week chart toppers in early 1975. It was a good song, though kind of depressing. I generally prefer their upbeat songs led by Henley, like "Hotel California".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS - DONNA SUMMER - The Optional extras were a little on the meh side this week. But that is just an opinion and nothing more. This would actually be my favorite of the four. I preferred Summer's other big 1979 hits over this one, but I still liked it better than her duet with Barbra Streisand, which would hit the chart later on that year.
33: OH WELL – THE ROCKETS (35) - Originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac in the late 1960s, this song saw chart action ten years later as recorded by this Detroit rock band. It was pretty good, but nothing exceptional.
32: DIFFERENT WORLDS – MAUREEN McGovern (36) - You could definitely tell that this was a TV show theme - from the somewhat short-lived TV show Angie. I liked this song - possibly my favorite song from her.
31: MAKIN’ IT – DAVID NAUGHTON (15) - This song was more of a gimmick than anything, IMO, but it was passable.
30: CRUEL TO BE KIND – NICK LOWE (33) - Here's another one I remember from back in the day! It was a good one - too bad they cut out the second verse.
29: DRIVER’S SEAT – SNIFF ‘N’ THE TEARS (34) - Hmm, I wonder how they came up with a band name like that? As for this song, which is used in a current Amazon Prime commercial, it wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
28: BORN TO BE ALIVE – PATRICK HERNANDEZ (32) - Interesting story about Hernandez's experience in France, where he went to college. His parents sure were less than enthused when they found out he was going to be a rock star instead of a teacher, which was the career he went to school to study for. I wonder if he reconsidered that when this became his only Top 40 hit?
27: HIGHWAY SONG - BLACKFOOT (29) - This was your typical late-70s southern rock song. It was pretty decent, IMO.
26: BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU (DOCTOR, DOCTOR) – ROBERT PALMER (30) - Given how much this song is played on oldies stations today, it's a surprise that this song never hit the Top Ten (though it did peak at #7 on R&R). The song's not bad, but I've never been a huge fan of Robert Palmer (though I did like his two Top 40 remakes).
25: I DO LOVE YOU - GQ (28) - The second of two Top 40 hits, both in 1979, from this soul group from the Bronx. Their first hit was a dance/disco song and this one was more mellow. I preferred this song of the two.
24: MORNING DANCE – SPYRO GYRA (26) - This was the second of the two instrumentals on this week's chart. I preferred this one - a great song with sort of a Caribbean flavor, with the congas and marimba.
23: SAIL ON – THE COMMODORES (37) - This one had sort of a country feel to it. It apparently worked, as it was not only this week's biggest mover, but it also hit the Top Five (and spent three weeks at #1 on R&R). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by the Commodores.
ARCHIVES: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - Another one-week #1 (though it fared much better on R&R, spending five weeks on top there). My favorite of her 1975 hits, by a fair margin.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T STOP 'TIL YOU GET ENOUGH - MICHAEL JACKSON - His first of four Top Ten hits from Off The Wall. Not a big fan of this one at all.
22: HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU – BONNIE POINTER - She was a former member of the Pointer Sisters, but left the group the year before to pursue a solo career. This song, her only solo Top 40, was pretty good, but I generally preferred songs by the Pointer Sisters.
21: IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM – JOE JACKSON (21) - This is one I remember from back in the day. Sugar Ray did a remake of this song back in 2003, but the original is definitely the best.
20: HOT SUMMER NIGHTS - NIGHT (24) - The first of two hits from this L.A. band. It was a great one, but I preferred the follow-up, which featured Chris Thompson on lead vocals.
19: LONESOME LOSER – LITTLE RIVER BAND (22) - Here's one I remember hearing a lot during the fall of 1979. It was pretty good, but I preferred LRB's two other 1979 hits by a fairly wide margin.
18: GOODBYE STRANGER - SUPERTRAMP (20) - The second of three Top 20 hits from Supertramp's multi-million selling album Breakfast In America. It was actually about this time back in '79 that I bought this album (at a discount store known as T G & Y), so I heard this song all the time back then, mainly on said album.
LDD: THE GAMBLER – KENNY ROGERS - I used to like this song, but that annoying Geico ad that used it a year or so back has actually dimmed my fascination for this song.
17: LET’S GO – THE CARS (23) - I remember hearing this one at the beach every now and again back in the summer of 1979. It's a good song, but I generally preferred their 80s hits (mainly from Heartbeat City).
16: I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU - KISS (11) - The band had gone disco by this time and that didn't really work for them, as this was their only Top 40 single with a disco beat. I myself prefer their slow songs (as did the general Top 40 audience, as their two Top Ten singles were both ballads).
15: SUSPICIONS – EDDIE RABBITT (17) - Possibly Rabbitt's most un-country sounding song ever. It had more of a smooth jazz sound to it, but it was a great one, IMO.
14: I’LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN – DIONNE WARWICK (16) - A member of a very musical family and, at the time, she was the most successful, but little did anyone know that Warwick's first cousin would come along six years later to give her a run for her money. As for the song, it's a great one - one of my favorites from her.
13: YOU CAN’T CHANGE THAT – RAYDIO (9) - 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!)
ARCHIVES: BLACK WATER – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - They had their second number one song earlier in the year, and this was their very first. Both are great songs and among my favorites from them.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: PLEASE DON'T GO - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND - Gee, KC, would you like a little cheese and crackers to go along with your whine?
12: RING MY BELL – ANITA WARD (7) - I heard this one a few times at the local skating rink back in the day. It was OK, but nothing special.
11: WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN – DR. HOOK (6) - 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.
10: SAD EYES – ROBERT JOHN (12) - With all the baby steps this song was taking (though it had made a few large moves a few weeks earlier), who knew that it was going to go all the way to the top? This song would tie "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder as the slowest climb to #1 - a total of 21 weeks each - a record that would stand for about two and a half years. Anyway, this is definitely my favorite of the two songs.
9: MAMA CAN’T BUY YOU LOVE – ELTON JOHN (10) - I'm surprised that we don't hear this song much anymore, given that it was a Top Ten hit. I liked this one - one of his best late-70s hits.
8: LEAD ME ON – MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (13) - A true two-hit wonder here, as her only other song was "Right Back Where We Started From", a song I used to like, but now not quite as much, due to overplay. This is definitely my favorite song from her.
7: THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA – CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (8) - Interesting about Charlie Daniels challenging Stan Kenton to cut a decent country record - and welching on the bet by not even listening to the record. And how's this for irony - on the day that this show aired, Kenton passed away.
6: DON’T BRING ME DOWN – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (14) - With the chart momentum of this song (which was in only its third week in the Top 40), this song looked like a sure-fire #1, but, in fact, the song climbed only two spots higher. I liked the song back in the day, though it was quite overplayed. I preferred their other 1979 Top Ten, which is sadly ignored by radio anymore.
5: BAD GIRLS – DONNA SUMMER (4) - As "Hot Stuff" stepped off the chart after a good, long run, this song was still going strong in the Top Five. Although I preferred "Hot Stuff", this was a good one as well.
4: AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (5) - One of their most successful hits ever - in fact, according to the R&R chart, it was their most successful, as it peaked at #1 there. The song did well on the Hot 100 as well, peaking at #2. This used to be one of my favorite songs, but now, I find it mediocre.
3: THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT – BARBRA STREISAND (3) - Interesting to hear an upbeat song by Streisand (though this was the only one that I liked - I think you all know that I did not like her duet with Donna Summer from later that year).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DEPENDIN' ON YOU - Michael McDonald had handled the lead vocals on the first two singles from the Minute By Minute album, but they went with a Patrick Simmons song as the third single. The song was pretty good, but nowhere near as good as "What A Fool Believes".
2: GOOD TIMES - CHIC (1) - This one is kind of overplayed, but I do prefer it over "La Freak". But my favorite of their 1979 hits, as you probably know all too well, was "I Want Your Love"
1: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK (2) - This song was in its first of six weeks at #1. Despite the fact that this song was played ad nauseum in 1979, I actually didn't really get tired of it, but somehow, a few years ago, I somehow decided that I'd tired of it many years before and didn't even know it. I preferred "Good Girls Don't", which charted about a month later. Thankfully, they played the single version of the song, with the shorter instrumental bridge (and didn't they cut out the second verse as well?)

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - August 24, 2024

This week's presentation - August 20, 1983

Droppers:
PIECES OF ICE - DIANA ROSS (38) - Ross was only second to Hall & Oates as the biggest act of the 1980s so far, and she was still adding to her total. However, her popularity was beginning to wane. She would have three more hits, but after 1985, she would never hit the Top 40 again. As for the song, I thought it was a good one, though I don't believe any stations around me ever played this one. However, this was a mistake, as the real #38 song (as listed on the Hot 100) was...
IT'S INEVITABLE - CHARLIE - Because of said mistake, this song was only heard on AT40 once, even though it was rightfully in the Top 40 for two weeks. I myself heard this song several times in the summer of 1983, since WLS gave it moderate airplay. I thought it was a pretty good song.
COME DANCING - THE KINKS (31) - This song recently became their biggest hit ever for this band, who was more famous for their '60s and '70s hits. 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 was in its eleventh week on the chart. It is also one of my favorite songs from them.
CUTS LIKE A KNIFE - BRYAN ADAMS (29) - 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.
WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' - MICHAEL JACKSON (17) - 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. Weird that it dropped from well inside the Top 20, though - this wasn’t 1982

LW#2: SWEET DREAMS - EURYTHMICS
LW#1: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE
40: KISS THE BRIDE - ELTON JOHN (debut) - Ah, a song about going to the wedding of a former flame. But at least he's not feeling sorry for himself like Fred Knoblock in "Why Not Me". He's gonna do something about it, dammit!
39: OUR HOUSE - MADNESS (22) - One of two hits from them, this one clearly being the best in the eyes of many, including yours truly. Indeed, an 80s mix show essential.
38: DON'T YOU GET SO MAD - JEFFREY OSBORNE (debut) - This song reminds me of "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson, especially in the choruses. I liked this song a lot, but preferred a few others from Osborne.
37: ALL TIME HIGH - RITA COOLIDGE (37) - Given the fact that this song was #1 for four weeks on the Hot AC chart, I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #36 at Top 40 - must not have been promoted very well. Anyway, I liked most of Coolidge's hits, this one included.
36: FAR FROM OVER - FRANK STALLONE (debut) - This was the only Top 40 hit from actor Sylvester Stallone's younger brother. It was a great song, IMO.
35: FAKE FRIENDS - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (35) - Try she might, she just could not manage to equal the success of "I Love Rock And Roll". This song wasn't bad, but her best song will always be said rock anthem..
34: (SHE'S) SEXY + 17 - STRAY CATS (debut) - For some reason, I was never a big fan of this song. Definitely my least favorite of their Top 40 hits. My favorite would be their next release, "I Won't Stand In Your Way". Too bad that song petered out at #35.
33: THE BORDER - AMERICA (33) - Not one of their more successful hits, but I thought it was a good one - I remember hearing this on U93 back in the day pretty regularly.
32: MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL - AIR SUPPLY (39) - One of two songs composed by Jim Steinman on the charts this week - and a great one at that. Not sure which one I prefer (although a third song written and composed by Steinman that charted later that year ("Read 'Em And Weep" by Barry Manilow) tops both of them).
31: SHALAMAR - DEAD GIVEAWAY (34) - This one isn't quite as good as "Second Time Around", but I like it a lot better than "Dancing In The Sheets".
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOLIDAY ROAD - LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM - This goes right up there with songs like "YMCA" and "Too Shy" as one of my absolute favorites of all time!
30: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - BONNIE TYLER (40) - The other Steinman-composed song on the chart this week, and this one would end up going all the way (in fact, it would block the other one from the #1 spot!) As I mentioned earlier, I liked both songs about the same.
29: PROMISES PROMISES - NAKED EYES (32) - 1983 was definitely their heyday, as they had their two biggest hits that year (along with a minor hit at the very end). This was my favorite of their two Top 20 hits (I forget how "When The Lights Go Out" goes at the moment, though I recall it was pretty good).
28: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU - LAURA BRANIGAN (36) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that Michael Bolton wrote this one (and later on recorded his own version). This is my favorite of Laura's 1983 hits (including "Gloria", which ranked on 1983's year-end list), but I slightly prefer Bolton's version.
27: 1999 - PRINCE (18) - A song that 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).
26: HUMAN TOUCH - RICK SPRINGFIELD (28) - Rick was known for melodically recycling his songs, and this was no exception, as it sounded a lot like his hit from earlier in the year, "Affair Of The Heart". Not one of my favorites from him, however.
25: SAVED BY ZERO - THE FIXX (20) - 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".
LDD: CECELIA - SIMON & GARFUNKEL - The third single from their Bridge Over Troubled water album. It was OK, but I preferred the title track and "El Condor Pasa".
24: AFTER THE FALL - JOURNEY (26) - Of the four singles from Frontiers, this is definitely the one that gets the least amount of recurrent airplay (though I haven't heard "Send Her My Love" much over the past few years outside of countdown shows). My second favorite from the album behind "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)".
23: DON'T CRY - ASIA (30) - Their second Top Ten hit (third, if you go by the R&R charts, where "Only Time Will Tell" peaked at #5). This was my least favorite of their hits, but it was still a good one.
22: TELL HER ABOUT IT - BILLY JOEL (27) - The first song from what could be Joel's most successful album ever (spawned six singles - only one of which didn't quite hit the Top 20). This was the biggest song from the album, hitting #1 in September - wasn't bad, but was one of my least favorite songs from him.
21: ROCK OF AGES - DEF LEPPARD (16) - The second of three Top 40 hits from Pyromania, 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRUE - SPANDAU BALLET - PM Dawn and Nelly apparently like this song, as both artists sampled it in their songs. I think the song's pretty good, too, though I didn't like it too much during its chart run.
20: ELECTRIC AVENUE - EDDIE GRANT (11) - Well, try it might, this song just couldn't break into the top spot - the act up there was just too strong for it, so instead, it spent the entire month of July at #2, which isn't bad either. It was a good song - one that pops up on the oldies stations from time to time, but I generally hear it on the AT40 reruns.
19: ROCK 'N' ROLL IS KING - ELO - (21) - They were good in the 70s, but, IMO, not so much in the 1980s. Melodically, this was pretty much "Hold On Tight Pt. 2".
18: THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS (24) - 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.
EXTRA: I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME - THE SUPREMES & THE TEMPTATIONS - A one-time duet between the top male group and the top female group in the history of the soul chart (up to that point, anyway). A #2 hit in 1969, this was the biggest group duet in the history of the charts, which, of course, was the story told to tie in with this song.
17: LAWYERS IN LOVE - JACKSON BROWNE (25) - 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.
16: NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO - SERGIO MENDES (9) - Today, this song would be billed as "Sergio Mendes featuring Joe Pizzulo & Leeza Miller". By this time in 1983, I'd had about enough of the song, as it was way overplayed. But now that I don't hear it as much, it's a great one - the synth bridge after the second chorus is awesome!
15: HUMAN NATURE - MICHAEL JACKSON (23) - Michael was still cranking out hits from Thriller. This was the fifth of seven, and it was one of my favorite songs on the album.
14: TAKE ME TO HEART - QUARTERFLASH (19) - They had three Top 40 hits, and this one would probably be my favorite.
13: FLASHDANCE…WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA (7) - This was the oldest song on the survey, with 19 weeks at this point. The following week, it became the longest running song of the entire year so far (of course, "The Stalker Song" came along and tied it a few months later). A great song, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, as radio stations played this song ad nauseum during the summer of 1983.
12: CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE (14) - Of course, my favorite songs from him were his two 1987 hits (one of which was heard on this week's "A" show), but this one wasn't bad either.
11: HOT GIRLS IN LOVE - LOVERBOY (13) - Definitely a hot hit, as I heard this one 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TONIGHT, I CELEBRATE MY LOVE - PEABO BRYSON & ROBERTA FLACK - This was one of several duets from them, though it was the only one that charted on AT40 (the second, "You're Looking Like Love To Me" just missed, in early 1984).
10: I'LL TUMBLE 4 YA - CULTURE CLUB (15) - 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.
9: PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - TACO (12) - The man is Dutch and he named himself after a Mexican food - go figure! Actually, Taco is his given name, not his stage name. Apparently Taco is a Dutch name and he was not aware that it was also the name of a Mexican sandwich until a few years ago, according to Casey. Anyway, this song, originally a hit over years before, was updated so as not to sound out of place by 1983 standards. It was a good song.
8: FASCINATION - THE HUMAN LEAGUE (10) - 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: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD - This song, of course, was still quite popular in the LDD department (remember - this was before songs like "That's What Friends Are For", "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Because You Loved Me" came along). It was a great song and fitting for this dedication.
7: IS THEIR SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW - DURAN DURAN (5) - 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".
6: IT'S A MISTAKE - MEN AT WORK (8) - 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".
5: STAND BACK - STEVIE NICKS (6) - 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"...
4: MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO (4) - The second of two #1 hits from Flashdance on this week's chart. This was good, but I preferred the film's title track.
3: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY - DONNA SUMMER (3) - This song had just completed a three-week run atop the R&B chart and was spending its third week at #3 here on AT40. Not my favorite song by her by any means.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE - TALKING HEADS - On the other hand, I think I'd rather hear the Donna Summer than this barf fest!
2: SWEET DREAMS - THE EURYTHMICS (2) - This song was spending a third of four weeks at #2, but, unlike poor Eddy Grant, their persistence paid off, as they managed to end the Police's marathon run at the top. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed.
1: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE (1) - 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.

[mrjukebox]

"Far From Over" was featured on the soundtrack of the John Travolta movie "Stayin Alive"-That particular movie was directed by Frank Stallone's well-known brother Sylvester.

[mrjukebox]

Hervard-"Rock Of Ages" was the second release from "Pyromania" not "Hysteria".

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - August 31, 2024

This week's presentation - August 27, 1977

DROPPERS:
SUNFLOWER - GLEN CAMPBELL (39) - Don't remember this one.
IT’S A CRAZY WORLD - MAC MacANALLY (37) - Can’t say that I remember this song either. I do, however, remember his song that just missed the AT40 chart in 1983, “Minimum Love”, which peaked at #25 on the R&R chart.
LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW (35) - 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.
DA DOO RON RON - SHAUN CASSIDY (28) -The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it hit #1 six weeks before. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one.

40: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (debut) - This was their first Top 40 hit, and it was Top Ten bound. Part 2 of this song ("The Groove Line") would chart the following year and would also hit the Top Ten. Both songs were so/so IMO, but my favorite song from them was the one that charted between those two songs, "Always And Forever", one of the most popular love songs of all time.
39: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (debut) - 1977 was definitely the year for movie songs! This one, from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, was one of many songs held out of #1 by Debby Boone's eternal #1 hit (it did sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart). It is one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon, as well as one of my faves on this week's chart.
38: "STAR WARS" THEME - MECO (debut) - And look here - another movie hit! This was an interesting disco version of the Star Wars theme, though I preferred the one by the London Symphony Orchestra, which is coming up later in the show.
37: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (27) - This one was a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know consider this a snoozefest. That's why I like it; nice and mellow - has sort of a haunting sound to it.
36: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (38) - Her popularity had peaked during the first half of the 1970s, but she indeed had a few last gasps in the late-70s. This was her second-to-last Top 40 hit. It was a good one.
35: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (debut) - I wonder if anyone thought this was the new song by Barry Manilow when they first heard the opening piano notes, as it definitely sounded like something Manilow would sing (after all, Barry's recent #1 hit was one of this week's droppers, so it would make sense for him to be returning with a follow-up. Anyway, it should come as no surprise that I thought this was a great song.
34: SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (36) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad.
33: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (10) - Wow! What a huge drop. Oddly enough, it actually spent two more weeks in the Top 40. It remained at #33 the following week and then dropped to #36 the week after. Not sure what happened there. Anyway, I was so obsessed with this song in the early 1990s. I called a lunchtime oldies program and requested this song, but they didn’t have it. I requested it so many times that they decided to finally order it. In May, 1992, I finally heard it for the first time since 1977. It’s my favorite song by the Rollers.
32: SLIDE - SLADE (32) - The only Top 40 entry from this funk band from Dayton, Ohio. It was OK, but nothing exceptional. According to Joel Whitburn’s Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits, this song is an instrumental. Um, I think it has too many vocals in it to be classified as an instrumental.
31: UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (31) - Here's another song that stalled out on its way down the chart (like the Bay City Rollers song would do the following week). This was definitely one of the biggest hits of 1977! One of the best, as well; this one peaked at #2 on my Personal Top 30, edged out of #1 by "Peace Of Mind" by Boston.
30: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (40) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and Da Doo Ron Ron are probably my two favorites from him.
29: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (34) - I was surprised to hear that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. I liked this one - there's a similarity between this and the theme from the TV show Growing Pains, which Thomas sang with Jennifer Warnes.
28: EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (33) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best.
27: CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (29) - This hard rock band from the Big Apple had a pretty decent year in 1977, with three Top 40 hits. This one wasn't bad, but I prefer their ballads over their upbeat songs.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: BRICK HOUSE - THE COMMODORES - I swear that I hear this song at every single dance party or wedding reception that I go to! Plus, this is overplayed on oldies stations - I definitely prefer their other 1977 hit "Easy" by far.
26: YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (26) - Here's another previously dropping hit in holding pattern, like Alan O'Day back at #31. 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.
25: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (9) - 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 would be a close second - it's a great song!
24: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (30) - Their only Top Ten hit that did not go to #1 (it didn't miss by much, though; it peaked at #2 for three weeks, but couldn't quite get past Meco; then, when Debby Boone leapfrogged this song, of course, there was no hope). I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best.
23: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (7) - Of course, I have mentioned how this song sounds a lot like "Goodbye Girl" by David Gates (and that I prefer the latter). Not much else to say about the song...
22: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (24) - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man")
21: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (25) - This was his second chart entry and clearly my favorite of his two 1977 hits, as well as one of my favorites from him of all time.
20: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (22) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!)
19: BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (20) - Meh, not a fan of this one. Way too repetitive and besides, I don't really like southern rock.
EXTRA: SUSPICIOUS MINDS - ELVIS PRESLEY - Of course, this was played right after Casey read his tribute to Elvis, who had passed away almost two weeks before.
18: TELEPHONE MAN - MARY WILSON (18) - Let's just say that I'm glad that this goofy song's playing time was only two minutes long.
17: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (19) - The first two hits from Leo's Endless Flight album hit #1 and it looked like this one could do the same but, as a matter of fact, it didn't even hit the Top Ten. That's too bad, as it was my favorite song from the album.
16: THEME FROM "STAR WARS" - THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (21) - Of course, we already know that this song, the original Star Wars theme, is my favorite of the two versions of it on the chart this week.
15: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (18) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. This was all the further it got, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart; that version of the song was a #1 Hot AC smash, a format that did not exist back in 1977). This was one of my favorite songs by Supertramp and I was delighted that they played the full version of the song (as they generally chopped out certain parts, mainly near the beginning and the end of the song).
14: SMOKE OF A DISTANT FIRE - THE SANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (15) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile back in the early 1990s as a recurrent).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS - As this song came onto the Hot 100 at #89 this week, who knew how much mileage the song would get on the charts. Heck, it didn't peak until mid-March of the following year, and, of course, it would end up breaking the record for the longest-running song on the Hot 100. As for the song, it was a good one; nice and mellow!
13: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (16) - They had four songs that charted in 1977, and this was my favorite of those songs. It turned out to be their biggest as well!
12: BARRACUDA - HEART (14) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. This is a song that I used to think was just OK, but I've recently gotten to like it a lot recently.
11: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (4) - He never quite matched the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album, but this song, from his sophomore album, of the same title, was his most successful single, peaking at #2. It is definitely my favorite song from him.
10: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (23) - This one was indeed a popular song (after all, it made a huge move this week and eventually hit gold status). It just wasn't quite my cup of tea, that's all.
9: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (11) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it.
8: FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS (13) - This song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Give Me Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well.
7: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (8) - They had been hitting the chart for nearly ten years but, oddly enough, this was their very first Top Ten hit. I preferred their later hits myself.
6: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (6) - The first of several great songs by them. This one peaked at #3 on my Personal Top 30 chart in September 1977. I actually like this one a little better than "Cool Love", which actually made it to #1 on my chart due to a lack of good songs (IMO, mind you) in the fall of 1981. In 1977, however, there were plenty of great ones.
5: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (12) - 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.
4: EASY - THE COMMODORES (5) - This was when their musical quality began to improve, as their first few hits were mediocre at best. This remains one of my favorite Commodores songs of all time!
3: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (3) - Casey said that this song had a good chance of hitting #1 the following week. Unfortunately, the top two was just too strong (although it did manage to climb a spot higher before falling clean out of the Top Ten the week after). This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL - They only had one Top Ten, but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, peaking at #11 and taking a hard fall this week. One of my favorite songs by Firefall!
2: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (2) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 a few weeks later (the same week that Rita Coolidge peaked at #2), it decided that three weeks weren't quite enough and made an encore appearance at the top. It went on to become AT40's #1 song of 1977.
1: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS (1) - This was the song that Andy Gibb pushed out of the top spot with said encore. But the song proved that turnabout was fair play, as it dethroned the Andy Gibb song the week after that for a total of five weeks on top. 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.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - August 31, 2024

This week's presentation - August 30, 1986

Droppers:
HANGING ON A HEART ATTACK - DEVICE (35) - This song sounds a lot like “Love Touch” by Rod Stewart (and with good reason; Holly Knight wrote both songs). This one’s more rocky than I remember - I always thought it was a dance/disco type song. Then again, I never really paid too much attention as it wasn’t really one of my favorite songs (and I never really heard it outside of countdown shows). Anyway, I think it's a good one.
ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU - GAVIN CHRISTOPHER (34) - Definitely one of my favorite songs from 1986! I heard this one quite often during its chart run, but then never. I felt this one was way underrated
INVISIBLE TOUCH - GENESIS (33) - Their lead-off hit from the album of the same title, and to #1 it went! Good thing, as it's my favorite song from the album (as well as the fact that they'd been hitting the chart for nearly ten years).
SUZANNE - JOURNEY(30) - Ah, I can smell the cool night air as I sat with my then-girlfriend in her backyard (even though her name was not Suzanne, some of the lyrics fit, like "those summer nights with me". This great song was my second favorite of the four Top 40 hits from Raised On Radio, behind "I'll Be Alright Without You".
RUMBLESEAT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (29) - I couldn’t believe that this song only got as high as #28. When I first heard it, I thought it had Top Ten written all over it. I guess not. Then again, seeing that it was the fifth single from a huge smash album, it wasn’t a big seller (since most fans had the album) and there was no need to call in and request it.
ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD - THE OUTFIELD (25) - Here is song that I associate most with the summer of '86, since I don't think that I've heard it (outside of countdown shows) since it fell off the chart. This one wasn't quite as big as their first song, "Your Love", but at least it did hit the Top 20.

The above songs were all great songs, IMO, making me wish that this show was guest hosted instead of the previous week's show. Oh well, it's all good, as there were a few of this week's six debuts that I really liked.

LW#1: PAPA DON’T PREACH – MADONNA
40: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION – SIMPLY RED (debut) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically.
39: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (debut) - This song broke the record for the longest span between chart appearances - nearly 22 and a half years. The song was re-released thanks to its inclusion in two popular 1986 movies ("Back To School" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Though it was nowhere near as big a hit as it was in its original chart run, it did spend four more weeks on the Hot 100 (since the charts moved much faster back in the 1960s). It was a good song, but definitely not their best.
38: DANGER ZONE – KENNY LOGGINS (26) - This was the first Top Gun single released - and the king of movie soundtrack hits, Kenny Loggins, was the one singing it. He was also the artist of another single from the soundtrack that did not hit the Top 40 ("Playing With The Boys"). I preferred this one and the Top 40 audience apparently did as well, since it practically made it to #1.
37: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (debut) - Here's a song that takes me back to my freshman year in high school! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts.
36: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (debut) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. Another song that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22.
35: VELCRO FLY – ZZ TOP (debut) - This song had been on the R&R chart for the past three weeks and finally made the AT40 chart. However, this was all the further the song got; it held at #35 the following week, dropped to #39 and was gone after that. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles.
34: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (debut) - Meh, this was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by them. I preferred their song that was charting exactly a year before (which some of us will be hearing on next week's "B" show).
33: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (40) - Another hit from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was, but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds, on someone's radio. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night".
32: TAKEN IN – MIKE & THE MECHANICS (32) - This song seemed to have taken residency of the #32 position, since this was its fourth week there. Definitely one of their most underrated songs! This one should have been a Top Ten hit just like their other two hits from 1986, IMO! At least it did do well on the AC chart, peaking at #7.
31: OH PEOPLE – PATTI LaBELLE (37) - This song was definitely riding on the coattails of LaBelle's recent #1 duet with Michael McDonald, though it was making somewhat promising progress on the chart, but it peaked at #29 the following weeks and fell clean off the chart the following week, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track, was debuting at #63 on the Hot 100, on its way to becoming her second #1 hit. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors.
30: LOVE TOUCH (THEME FROM “LEGAL EAGLES”) – ROD STEWART (17) - This was written by Holly Knight, who headed up the band Device, who dropped out of the Top 40 with their sole Top 40 hit "Hanging On A Heart Attack", and it definitely showed, given the similarity between the two songs. Though I slightly preferred the Device song, both of them were good songs.
29: SLEDGEHAMMER – PETER GABRIEL (19) - The first of three Top 40 hits from Gabriel's album So. Tell you what, I wasn't crazy about this song to begin with and the excessive airplay only made me like it less. To this day, I'm still burned out on it and usually change the station when it comes on. I do like "Shock The Monkey" and "Big Time", though.
28: PRESS – PAUL McCARTNEY (39) - Wow, as this song continued to take baby steps up the R&R chart, it made a huge move on AT40. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings.
27: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (38) - Another song moving up eleven spots - only this song went on to hit the Top Five while the Paul McCartney song petered out at #21. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch.
LDD: WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND - GTR - Wow! This was a powerful LDD, one that we were "warned" about in a different thread. As for the song, it was a great one IMO.
26: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (36) - As the old saying goes, third time's a charm, as this was Janet's third release from Control, and it went all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era.
25: TWO OF HEARTS – STACY Q (31) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah-I need, I need you part is somewhat embarrassing and definitely annoying.
24: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (27) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, Casey mentioned a few weeks back that this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing.
23: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (28) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one.
22: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (24) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one.
21: YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) – JEFFREY OSBORNE (13) - Another R&B slow jam. This one would have been a great song if not for the dumb title, and the "Can you woo woo woo" choruses. I preferred many other songs from him, like "On The Wings Of Love" and "Don't You Get So Mad".
20: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW – THE MONKEES (21) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which was reaching its peak position this week. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the summer of 1986 (rather than my freshman year, by which time radio stations weren't playing this much anymore - though I do remember hearing it on the way to school one time, very early in the year).
19: MAN SIZE LOVE - KLYMAXX (22) - The first of two Top 40 hits from the movie "Running Scared", both of which are on the chart this week. Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx, depending on whether I'm in the mood for an upbeat song or a ballad.
18: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (23) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second).
17: THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - WHAM (10) - This was a bittersweet song for Wham! fans, as it was their final Top 40 hit. But at least it was one of their best, IMO, anyway. George Michael, who was pretty much the voice of Wham! anyway, went on to have an even more successful career, so it really didn't make much of a difference.
16: YANKEE ROSE – DAVID LEE ROTH (18) - This was a song that I didn't care much for back in the day (though I did like the part at the beginning - David's conversation with his guitar at the beginning of the song. Other than that...)
15: WALK THIS WAY – RUN D.M.C. (20) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, but back when this was on the charts, I did not like it, but in retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith.
14: BABY LOVE - REGINA (14) - This one sounds like a Madonna song (which is no coincidence, as this was co-written by Stephen Bray, who collaborated with Madonna during the 1980s, co-writing and co-producing many of her big hits in the 1980s. I'm sure there were a few folks wondering if this song had peaked the previous week, as it was stalled out at #14. It got a second wind this week, which was good, because it was a great song!
13: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (16) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. I’ve said that I prefer their ballads to their upbeat songs, but this is actually one of my least favorite of their slow songs - I actually prefer a few of their upbeat songs, such as "Bad Boy" and "Betcha Say That" over this one.
12: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “KARATE KID PART II”) – PETER CETERA (5) - I preferred the first Karate Kid movie over the second (but that could be because I've only seen the second once while I've watched the first one multiple times). The song, however, was a great one - possibly my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit ever!
11: WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF – JERMAINE STEWART (8) - I always got this song confused with "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, as the drum intros sounded alike (of course, both songs were Narada Michael Walden productions), I never knew what song it was until the instruments kicked in. This was a good song with a good message
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Riptide Top Ten singles were overplayed (and "Addicted To Love" still is). The only song from the album I liked was "Hyperactive", since that song was not overplayed - in fact, I don't believe I ever heard it outside of countdown shows even during its chart run.
10: MAD ABOUT YOU – BELINDA CARLISLE (4) - Now that the Go-Go's were gone-gone, several members of the band embarked on solo careers. This was the first of six solo Top 40 hits by the lead singer. It was pretty good, but I remember hating it back in the day. I still prefer most of her other Top 40 hits.
9: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (15) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and were on their way to their second (I was pretty sure right off the bat that this would be a #1, based on their super-high debut on the R&R chart at #21 a few weeks before). This would log three weeks on top - one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year.
LDD: LOVE CHILD – THE SUPREMES - This LDD was similar to the first one, as it was about someone given up for adoption - only this one was about a teen coming to realize why she was given up. The song indeed fit the dedication.
8: RUMORS – TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (9) - Casey mentioned how this song, which was a recent #1 on the Soul and Dance charts, "hadn't made up its mind on the pop chart yet", as it was doing somewhat of a yo-yo routine. Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often.
7: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (11) - Michael did quite well on the charts as a solo artist - I'm sure that the fact that he was the former lead singer of the Doobie Brothers was somehat instrumental in that. This was one of his Top Ten hits and it was a good one.
6: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON AND GLORIA LORING (12) - For some odd reason I found the sudden crescendo in the first chorus (where they sing, “We don’t have to be one...OR THE OTHER) quite disturbing. But I eventually came to really like this song - that is, until the radio stations that I listened to played it ad nauseum and I was getting quite tired of it (by that time, Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton were charting at country with a cover of the song which I preferred over the original).
5: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (6) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over. But seriously, the song was pretty good, and it had a great video. I did, however, get sick of hearing kids at school saying, "Hey, look at that footprint on the ceiling!"
4: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (7) - The second hit from one of the biggest movie soundtracks of '86! The soundtrack yielded three Top 40 hits, and one that didn't make the Top 40. Plus, I believe that several other songs, like Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick, received airplay as album cuts on a few radio stations. I liked this song - definitely not as annoying as their first Top 40 hit "No More Words".
3: PAPA DON’T PREACH - MADONNA (1) - Here is another song that I hated with a passion when it was on the charts. It's not bad now that I don't hear it every single time I turn on the radio, but still, I prefer many other songs by Madonna.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL - Meh, not generally a big fan of him, especially the "So" album, since the first two singles from it are way overplayed. Given that, I'm surprised that this song came nowhere near the Top Ten.
2: VENUS - BANANARAMA (3) - I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour".
1: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (2) - This has got to be one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. I’m still burned out on it (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place). No, I prefer many others by him, thank you very much!