Chart Critiques

[dukelightning]

That's bizarre. A few hours ago right after these latest posts, they were all in black. Now they are in yellow and I can't read them. Wonder how that happened.

[mrjukebox]

The Highwaymen whose 1961 hit "Michael" was heard as an "AT40 Archive" song on this week's A show presentation from 9/20/80,were formed at Wesleyan University here in Connecticut.

[mrjukebox]

In 1988,Weird Al Yankovic had a minor hit with his parody of "Bad"-It was called "Fat".

[michaelcasselman]

@hervard, were those the 2008 Optional Extras for 9/20/1980?

[mrjukebox]

Hervard-The correct title of the Larsen-Fieten song is "Who'll Be The Fool Tonight".

[Hervard]

American Top 40 - September 21, 2024

This week's presentation - September 17, 1977

Droppers:
YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - BAY CITY ROLLERS (39) - 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.
WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (37) - 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.
BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (34) - I'm not a big fan of Southern Rock, so this song didn't really do anything for me.
SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (31) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad.
GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (27) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. The song peaked at #15 the week before, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart, that is; 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 Superman.
EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (26) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best.
CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (25) - One of three songs with which they charted during 1977. It was pretty good, but I preferred their ballads (as well as "Hard Luck Woman" from earlier in the year).

40: THE KING IS GONE - RONNIE McDOWELL (debut) - A very touching tribute to Elvis Presley, whom we had sadly lost a little over a month before. Given that, it's no surprise that this song went gold almost instantly.
39: SURFIN' U.S.A. - LEIF GARRETT (debut) - The first of three chart hits for this then-young man. You can still catch him on TruTV, on re-runs of their show The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest... (though I'm not sure how often that station runs that show anymore). I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure of mine, as I rather like this song - but I can definitely see why many people hated this one.
38: ANOTHER STAR - STEVIE WONDER (debut) - Looks like many people bought the Songs In The Key Of Life album over the summer, as the first two singles from it went all the way to #1, yet the next two songs didn't even touch the Top 30. This was a good song, though I prefer many others from him.
37: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL (debut) - They only had one Top Ten hit ("You Are The Woman" from the year before), but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, and it is one of my favorite songs by Firefall.
36: I BELIEVE YOU - DOROTHY MOORE (40) - This was her second hit - sounded a little like "Misty Blue", only I liked this one a lot better.
35: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE (debut) - THE ULTIMATE GUILTY PLEASURE HERE!! This song was on its way to becoming the longest running #1 song of the 1970s! A great song indeed!
34: CAT SCRATCH FEVER - TED NUGENT (38) - A classic rock staple here! I was never a huge fan of the song, however. Not sure - it was just a little loud for me, I guess. I did like Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s parody of this, “Hump Day Fever”.
33: HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS (debut) - This was melodically a great song, but the lyrics were sort of questionable - the guy was stuck in an elevator with someone who wanted nothing to do with him - and he was happy nonetheless. I'd have felt very awkward and, like the girl in the elevator with me, I'd want them to have us out ASAP. But that's just me. As I said, the music itself was great.
32: DAYTIME FRIENDS - KENNY ROGERS (36) - He had his first solo hit earlier that year, and it was one of his biggest hits, peaking at #5. This song didn't do quite as well (only got as high as #28), but the best was yet to come for him. It was a pretty good song, but far from being his best IMO.
31: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - GEORGE BENSON (35) - I, along with many of us, am more familiar with Whitney Houston's version of this song and prefer that one, but this is a good version as well.
EXTRA: THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN - JOAN BAEZ - This version of the song wasn't bad, but I preferred the original version by The Band, recorded in 1969.
30: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (32) - 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.
29: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (17) - A true example of "Third Single Syndrome". After two #1 hits from Endless Flight, this was all the higher this song got. Too bad, as it was my favorite of his three EF singles.
28: BRICK HOUSE - COMMODORES (debut) - 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - CRYSTAL GAYLE - Her first Top 40 hit came close to hitting #1, but I don't think I need to tell you the song that locked it out of #1. Anyway, I liked all of Crystal Gayle's Top 40 hits (and a few that hit only the AC chart).
27: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED - PETER FRAMPTON (33) - His current album, I'm In You, didn't quite live up to the success of Frampton Comes Alive (one of the most popular live albums of all time), but it did spawn two Top 20 hits. The title track, of course, was my favorite, but this was not bad either.
26: JUNGLE LOVE - STEVE MILLER BAND (30) - The second single from Book Of Dreams and one of four songs that he charted with in 1977. This was pretty good, but my least favorite of singles from that year.
25: BARRACUDA - HEART (13) - 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.
24: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (28) - 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. Unsurprisingly, I thought this was a great song.
23: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (29) - I liked many of her disco hits, but this sure wasn't one of them - way too repetitive. Basically the same three sentences sung over and over and over again.
22: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (12) - 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.
21: WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY (24) - This song had indeed been on its “way down” and had actually fallen out of the Top 40. But shortly after Elvis had died, the song came back to the Top 40 and looked like it might be heading for the Top Ten. However, it only got as high as #18 the following week.
20: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (23) - 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.
19: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (20) - Kind of a surprise that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. I liked this one a lot.
18: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (22) - Their first Top 40 hit. 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.
17: EASY - COMMODORES (7) - This song spent nearly the entire summer climbing the chart, peaking at #4 in late August. A great song indeed - definitely when the Commodores' musical quality began noticeably improving IMO. Too bad they cut out the second verse.
16: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (17) - 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")
15: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (16) - This was his biggest hit, and it would end up being his biggest hit ever; just barely missed the Top Ten, which I thought was a shame, as it was my favorite song from him. A small consolation - it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #8. Anyway, this was another song that was edited (which was pretty dumb IMO, as the song's not that long to begin with.
14: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (19) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me at the time 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.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME - BARRY WHITE - This song was usually edited down to about a minute and a half, this week being no exception (which was just as well to me, since I wasn't a fan of it).
13: STAR WARS THEME/CANTINA BAND - MECO (18) - This song was on its way to #1 - in fact, it would get there two short weeks later, thus breaking up ongoing battle for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions.
12: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (14) - 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!). Yet another great song that was butchered by cutting out the second verse.
11: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (2) - Her first big hit - couldn't quite break up the fight for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions, but still managed to sneak in a week at #2. This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard.
10: STAR WARS (MAIN TITLE) - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (11) - The second of two versions of this song on this week's chart. Meco's disco version was in the process of stealing this one's thunder, as the former jumped into the Top Ten the following week, while this song took a hard fall to #36. Too bad, as this was my favorite of the two versions of the song.
9: SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE - SANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (10) - 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 late-80s/early 1990s. Did they edit this one? You better believe it! Truly, AT40 had long since outgrown its three-hour running time and it wouldn't be extended to four hours for another year.
8: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (9) - 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.
7: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - BROTHERS JOHNSON (8) - This one wasn't quite my cup of tea, although it wasn't exactly "roof-raising R&B" music - it was actually somewhat mellow. I guess it just didn't do anything for me.
6: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. AND THE SUNSHINE BAND (15) - 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.
5: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (6) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it.
4: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (4) - Both husband and wife were on the chart at the same time. We heard Carly Simon back at #20, and her then-husband was sitting at his peak of #4 with this great song. My mom used to be able to play this song on her guitar, so I remember it quite well.
EXTRA: CAN'T BUY ME LOVE - BEATLES - Of course, Casey told his favorite chart factoid about the Beatles occupying the entire Top Five the week of April 4, 1964. This was the song on top that week. It was a good song, but I preferred others from them.
3: BEST OF MY LOVE - EMOTIONS (1) - This song had spent the past four weeks on top - and it wasn't quite done yet, as it would return to the top spot, giving the artist at #1 a taste of his own medicine. Anyway, I really liked this song - I definitely preferred it over the Eagles' former #1 song of the same title, since that one was a melancholy song about a dying relationship while the Emotions song was a fun, upbeat song about a love affair that was strong and flourishing.
2: FLOAT ON - FLOATERS (5) - This looked like a sure-fire #1 hit, with such a jump to the runner-up position, but this was all the higher the song got. 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.
1: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (3) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 the previous week, 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, and it was definitely worthy of that honor - it was my favorite song from Gibb!

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - September 21, 2024

This week's presentation - September 25, 1982

DROPPERS:
VALLEY GIRL - FRANK ZAPPA f/MOON UNIT ZAPPA (32) - Interesting that it took his hip 14-year old daughter to help him get his first Top 40 hit. Though kind of silly, I actually kinda liked this song, especially Moon Unit's dialogue. "Oh my GAWD!" "Ugh, gag me with a sp00n!" However, I'm wondering what possessed Frank to name his daughter Moon Unit? I bet she became the butt of many jokes (no pun intended).
WASTED ON THE WAY - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (19) - Yes, indeed, you knew that this was 1982 when you saw songs dropping off the countdown from way up in the Top 20. This song is possibly my favorite of their hits (though "Just A Song Before I Go" would be an extremely close second).
EVEN THE NIGHTS ARE BETTER - AIR SUPPLY (6) - This song, of course, broke the record for the biggest drop from the Top 40, eclipsing the record of "Steppin' Out" by Tony Orlando & Dawn, which dropped out of the 40 from #7, back in 1974. Too bad Casey didn't read the droppers back in 1982, or at least mentioned at the beginning of the show that said record was being set. As mkarns mentioned in the 80s show thread a few years back, "listeners at the time, especially those who wrote down the chart weekly, were probably baffled about where 'Even the Nights Are Better' was until late in the show." Anyway, this was one of their best songs, IMO.

LW#3: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR
LW#2: ABRACADABRA – THE STEVE MILLER BAND
LW#1: HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY - CHICAGO
40: LET IT BE ME - WILLIE NELSON (40) - Willie’s 1982 album Always On My Mind was a compilation of cover versions of previous hits. His two Top 40 singles from it were remakes of older songs, plus I remember his version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” kicking off the album. Anyway, this version song is really good - not sure if I prefer it or the original (and, to my knowledge, there was no techno remake of it).
39: HEART ATTACK - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - As the record for the biggest drop from the Top 40 (well, before 11/30/91, anyway) was being set this week, the biggest move within the Top 40 of the 1980s was about to be set the following week. The song didn't quite make it to #1, though; instead, it spent the entire month of November at #3. It was a great song, though not quite as good as "Make A Move On Me", which hit the Top Five the previous spring.
38: OH JULIE - BARRY MANILOW (38) - No opinion on this song - I turned it down when it was playing so it wouldn’t remind me of a past relationship with a girl by that name. However, from what I did hear, this was unusually upbeat for Manilow.
37: HOLDIN' ON - TANE CAIN (37) - The only Top 40 hit for the wife of Journey's Jonathan Cain. This song remains true to its title this week. It was a pretty good song, with a hint of Pat Benatar.
36: YOU DON'T WANT ME ANYMORE - STEEL BREEZE (39) - This is the song that kicked off the Top 100 of 1982. It sounds a little like something Rick Springfield would sing. I think it's a great song, as well as their other Top 40 hit, "Dreamin' Is Easy", which would chart in early 1983.
35: GYPSY - FLEETWOOD MAC (debut) - Big surprise that this song did not at least hit the Top Ten, given the fact that it was a #1 on R&R. It didn't even spend very long in the Top 40. Anyway, this song reminded me a little of their hit "Sara", which also featured Stevie Nicks on lead. I liked both songs (but preferred "Sara"). This song seemed to be heavily edited this week.
34: DON'T FIGHT IT - KENNY LOGGINS WITH STEVE PERRY (debut) - Sort of a random pairing here, but it indeed worked, as the song hit the Top 20 on AT40 (and got as high as #4 on the R&R chart, so apparently it wasn't a huge seller - but got plenty of airplay). It was a great song indeed!
33: THE ONE YOU LOVE - GLENN FREY (35) - I liked this song a lot when it was on the charts, but then my interest in it dulled kind of fast. I prefer several others from him.
32: HOLD ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (7) - With the song above it last week falling off the chart completely, it was no surprise that this song took a hefty tumble as well. This one had also set a record for the longest peak at #4 that, as far as I know, could still be standing today (though, of course, I stopped believing in the Hot 100 soon after 11/30/1991). It was one of my favorites from them back in the day, but I have since grown tired of the song (though it's good to hear it every now and again).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MICKEY - TONI BASIL - This was a great cheerleading anthem! This is a song I'd jam to back in the day. However, now that I’m not a ten-year old weirdo anymore, it’s a little silly. I still remember the field trip to Six Flags Great America in eighth grade. We were on our way back home when this song came on the radio and all the girls started singing along with it. I said, “You gotta be s***ing me!” Then I instantly clapped my hand over my mouth, as I was right near the teacher. I don’t think she heard me, though, since she was conversing with one of the kids on the bus.
31: YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME - THE GAP BAND (34) - Casey mentioned their last hit before this one, "Early In The Morning" in the intro to this song, which sounds a lot like that song (except that song did not have "bomb dropping" sound effects in it - just a rooster crowing at the very beginning). I liked both songs about the same.
30: MAKE BELIEVE - TOTO (33) - Wow, a lot of remakes in the first hour. Oh yeah, this isn’t a remake, but it sure sounds like it should be, since it has that sixties sound to it. The man singing lead kind of sounds like Mickey Thomas, of the Jefferson Starship, doesn't he? Anyway, this song, which I thought was a great one, is a classic example of peak disparities between the Hot 100 and the R&R pop chart - in the latter, this song peaked at #10, while this was all the higher the song got on the AT40 chart.
29: VOYEUR - KIM CARNES (31) - She was quite successful on the charts during the first two years of the 1980s, with two Top Ten hits in 1980 and, of course, the biggest song of 1981, but after that, she seemed to burn out quite fast, as none of her successive songs peaked above #15. This song was peaking this week. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred said Top Ten hits from her.
28: NEVER BEEN IN LOVE - RANDY MEISNER (28) - One of several former members from the Eagles gone solo. Of his Top 40 hits, this one was possibly my favorite - has that MOR sound typical of the early 80s.
27: BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY - JUICE NEWTON (36) - Of course, we all know that my favorite songs from her are from 1982, and this one is my absolute favorite from her. I preferred this one over the original by Brenda Lee.
26: GLORIA - LAURA BRANIGAN (30) - Here's a song that got quite a lot of mileage on the chart! Spent 22 weeks in the Top 40, and 36 weeks on the Hot 100. It was a great song - one that has aged quite well.
25: JUMP TO IT - ARETHA FRANKLIN (29) - This song was typical R&B music of the 1980s (in fact, Casey said that she said the record for the female with the most #1 hits on the Soul chart). It was pretty good, but I generally preferred her songs from the mid-80s and after).
24: BIG FUN - KOOL & THE GANG (27) - Another typical R&B song of the era. I wasn't a big fan of this one, however. This song was quite repetitive - I mean, did they really have to repeat “HAVE some fun, HAVE some fun” over and over again?
LDD: SEPTEMBER MORN – NEIL DIAMOND - This was indeed a somewhat appropriate song for both the dedication as well as the time of year. As for the song itself, it was a good one, though not quite his best.
23: HOT IN THE CITY - BILLY IDOL (23) - This song had two chart runs - it peaked at #23 in this one and, when it was re-released in 1987, it climbed to #48. It was OK, but I wasn't really a big Billy Idol fan, though he did have a few good ones (i.e. "Eyes Without A Face" & "Sweet Sixteen")
22: WHAT'S FOREVER FOR - MICHAEL MURPHEY (24) - Chiefly a country artist, Murphey had several pop crossovers. His biggest was "Wild Fire", a #3 hit in 1975, but this was second biggest hit, peaking at #19 for five weeks. It is also my favorite of his crossover hits - a great song indeed!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SOUTHERN CROSS - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH - Most people I know preferred their earlier hits, but I'm the odd man out, as I preferred their most recent hits. This and, as I mentioned earlier, "Just A Song Before I Go" and "Wasted On The Way" are among my favorite songs by them. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against their 60s/early 70s hits, but they just don't quite match up to their two 1982 hits.
21: I RAN - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (26) - The first (and biggest) of three hits by this English new wave and synthpop band. I liked all three songs, but I'm not sure which one I liked best. They played the album version of the song at first, with the synth solo at the end, instead of repeating the chorus to fade, which is on the 45.
20: DO YOU WANNA TOUCH ME - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (25) - She indeed had a great year in 1982, with her rock and roll anthem, one of the biggest hits of the year, and her Top Ten remake of "Crimson And Clover". This song didn't do quite as well, but did hit the Top 20. I wasn't a big fan of this song, however.
19: HOLD ON - SANTANA (22) - Carlos Santana definitely had his best chart success during his comeback around the turn of the century - especially at Hot AC radio. I liked a lot of those songs, as overplayed as they were, but they didn't hold a candle to this song - possibly my favorite Santana song of all time!
18: LET ME TICKLE YOUR FANCY - JERMAINE JACKSON (20) - Meh, I was never a big fan of this one - possibly my least favorite songs of his.
17: ONLY TIME WILL TELL - ASIA (17) - Their second of two hits this band put into the Top 20 during 1982. It was also my favorite of the two (though the other song, "Heat Of The Moment", was a great one too).
16: THINK I'M IN LOVE - EDDIE MONEY (16) - His first Top 40 hit in nearly three and a half years. This one was peaking this week, but managed to place on the Top 100 of 1982, at #70, due to its chart longevity. It was a good song, though I preferred several others from him (such as "Maybe I'm A Fool", "Endless Nights" and "After This Love Is Gone", among others.
15: I KEEP FORGETTIN' - MICHAEL McDONALD (21) - REGULATORS!!! Mount up! Well, at least that would be the song that, twelve years later, sampled this song, which was a great song and showed that Michael McDonald was good as a solo artist as well as lead singer of the Doobie Brothers.
14: BLUE EYES - ELTON JOHN (15) - One of two songs he charted with in 1982, both of them making the Top 20. Though I preferred the other song, "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny", this one was a good one too.
13: LOVE WILL TURN YOU AROUND - KENNY ROGERS (13) - Given the droppers this week, you might guess that there were one or two songs falling out from the Top 20 the following week. Actually, there were three and, believe it or not, this was the lowest-ranked of those on this week's chart. The song was peaking at #13 for a fifth week and the following week, would fall down to #67! This song did manage to hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, which is good, since this is one of my favorite songs from Kenny Rogers!
12: YOU CAN DO MAGIC - AMERICA (14) - A comeback hit for them in two different ways - their first Top Ten hit since 1975, when "Sister Golden Hair" hit #1, and their first Top 40 since 1976, when they peaked at #23 with "Today's The Day". This one would hit #8 a month later. It was one of their best hits, IMO, and one I remember quite well back in the day!
11: TAKE IT AWAY - PAUL MCCARTNEY (10) - This song spent the past five weeks at #10 and, instead of making a huge fall this week, it drops a spot to #11. However, reality set in the following week, as this song tumbled all the way down to #66! Anyway, I really liked this song - one of my favorite of Sir Paul's solo hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE LOOK OF LOVE - ABC - This wasn't their biggest hit, but it is the song that I hear most often on 80s stations (though their two Top Ten hits from later in the 80s also receive a fair amount of recurrent airplay). This would probably be my favorite song by ABC
10: LOVE IS IN CONTROL - DONNA SUMMER (11) - A few weeks ago, I mentioned how this song seemed to defy the rule of thumb back in 1982 (namely, spending weeks and weeks at their peak, and then taking a hard fall, many of them out of the Top 40 completely), and how this song may have been artificially moved up to #10 so it wouldn't just barely miss hitting the Top Ten - especially since it dropped to #59 the following week, after just a single week at #10. That may or may not have happened (and we'll probably never really know), but either way, I wasn't a big fan of this song - sounded a little like something the Jacksons would do - in fact, when I first heard this song, I thought that's who it was.
9: HURTS SO GOOD - JOHN COUGAR (8) - Interesting story about how this song came to be, and that songwriter George Green got half of the co-writing credit for this song just for coming up with the title. Anyway, this was Cougar's first of two hits in the Top Ten this week. I think we all know that I prefer this song.
8: SOMEBODY'S BABY - JACKSON BROWNE (18) - With such a tight chart, it should come as no surprise that there weren't that many big jumpers. This was one of three songs moving up more than five spots, and it was also the biggest. This song seemed to pick up right where his other Top Ten hit, "Doctor My Eyes" left off, as that song peaked at #8. It looked like it might match that peak, as it held there for three weeks, but managed to climb a spot higher, becoming Browne's biggest hit to date - and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite songs by Browne.
7: WHO CAN IT BE NOW - MEN AT WORK (12) - This one, along with their other Business As Usual #1, "Down Under" are both way overplayed. Yet radio stations pretty much ignore any of the Cargo singles, which IMO are superior to the two #1s.
6: EYE IN THE SKY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (9) - We heard the only song billed simply as by Alan Parsons on the 1977 show and on this one, here is their biggest hit ever - a song that was overplayed back in the day, but now, I seldom hear it outside of countdown shows anymore. Definitely one of my favorite songs from them.
LDD: CAT’S IN THE CRADLE – HARRY CHAPIN - Great song, and very appropriate for the dedication, which I can relate to, as my Dad and I weren't very close, especially after he and my Mom got divorced.
5: YOU SHOULD HEAR HOW SHE TALKS ABOUT YOU - MELISSA MANCHESTER (5) - Her third Top Ten hit, as well as her biggest hit ever (both in terms of peak position and weeks on the chart). This was a good song, although sounds a little like a note you’d find in a middle school girls’ notebook.
4: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR (3) - This is another song that, like the John Cougar song we heard earlier, has held up quite well despite overplay. I still prefer a few others by them, such as "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", and their low charter from late 1983 "Caught In The Game".
3: HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO (1) - - It looked like this song was going to peak at #5, a position it held for the past four weeks, but it managed to rise above the competition and go all the way to #1, where it spent a pair of weeks. This was their comeback hit (as they hadn't hit the Top 40 since "No Tell Lover" in early 1979), and it turned out to be one of their biggest hits ever. As you probably know all too well, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio.
2: JACK AND DIANE - JOHN COUGAR (4) - When Casey mentioned that coming up in the last segment of the show was "the #2 song and the new #1 song", that somewhat implied that this song was #1 (as the other song that was left had already been to the top), but not quite. No matter; the song did go to #1 and stayed there for practically the entire month of October. This is another song that I used to like back in the day before overplay pretty much did it in. I definitely preferred his other song in the countdown this week.
1: ABRACADABRA - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (2) - This song spent a week at #1 in the early part of the month and was pushed aside by Chicago the following week. But the song had the magic that it took to re-appear at #1 this week. I liked Casey's story about how Steve Miller had bumped Chicago out of the top spot once before in 1976, and then two weeks before, Chicago got their revenge, and then Miller and the band did it again this week. Anyway, this was a good song, and one you don’t hear much anymore (but they’ll occasionally play it on Sunny 101.5).

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - September 21, 2024

This week's presentation - September 24, 1983

LW#2: TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL
LW#1: MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO
40: COLD BLOODED – RICK JAMES (debut) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, so I'd only heard it once before, the other time this show was broadcast. The song was OK, but I'm not a huge Rick James fan.
39: IF ANYONE FALLS – STEVIE NICKS (debut) - She was still doing quite well as a solo artist, and this was one of my favorite solo hits from her - definitely my favorite from The Wild Heart.
38: IT’S A MISTAKE – MEN AT WORK (22) - 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".
37: IT MUST BE LOVE - MADNESS (38) - Well, "Our House" was indeed a big hit, but this one, on the other hand, didn't even touch the Top 30. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred their first one.
36: SITTING AT THE WHEEL – THE MOODY BLUES (39) - "Running On Empty" meets "Sister Goldenhair", as I hear elements of both songs in this song, which was the Moody Blues' comeback hit after two years off. Because of that, many people thought it would do better than it did but, unfortunately, it didn't even make the Top 20. The song did, however, hit #1 on my Personal Top 30, since I liked it a lot.
35: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER – THE MOTELS (40) - They had four Top 40 hits, and I liked all of them. This one would peak at #9, like their first hit "Only The Lonely". I think that we all know that my favorite song from them was "Remember The Nights".
34: DON’T FORGET TO DANCE – THE KINKS (36) - Well, their 80s comeback was short-lived, but not before they had their biggest hit ever, "Come Dancing" earlier in the summer. This song didn't do quite as well, but the station that I listened to, U93, played it quite regularly.
33: LADY LOVE ME – GEORGE BENSON (33) - A great jazz artist here! This song had his trademark scat singing during the bridge. This was one of my favorite of his songs that charted at Top 40 radio, but I preferred a few others that charted at smooth jazz and AC ("Breezin'" and "I Just Want To Hang Around You" come to mind).
32: DON’T YOU GET SO MAD – JEFFREY OSBORNE (25) - For some reason, I associate this song and the George Benson song together, since, for one, they're both mid-tempo R&B song, as well as the fact that they climbed the R&R chart together. More often than not, it seemed, they were back to back, like they are on this week's countdown. I liked this song a lot, but preferred a few others from Osborne.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS A STRANGER - THE EURYTHMICS - Not a fan of this one - I actually prefer their song on this week's chart, as overplayed as it is. Apparently, the general Top 40 audience agreed, as, despite their first song hitting #1, this one only got as high as #23.
31: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK (34) - This was one of several duets from them, though it was the only one that charted on AT40 (the second, "You're Looking Like Love To Me" just missed, in early 1983). I preferred that one by far (as it was my #1 song of 1984 on my Personal Top 30 charts), but this was a great one as well!
30: DELIRIOUS - PRINCE (37) - Meh, I'm not a fan of this one at all. Give me "Little Red Corvette" any day!
29: BIG LOG – ROBERT PLANT (32) - The first solo hit by the lead singer of the legendary band Led Zeppelin. I've always wondered how high "Stairway To Heaven" would have climbed had it been released as a single. As for this song, it was a good one, but I generally prefer his Led Zeppelin singles, including the one mentioned above.
28: TELL HER NO – JUICE NEWTON (31) - Here's another song that got heavy airplay on U93 in the fall of 1983, so I'm kinda surprised that this song only peaked in the low 20s. It was a good one, but, as we know all too well, I preferred her 1982 songs.
LDD: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – DOLLY PARTON - Wow, wasn't this used as a LDD on a show a few weeks ago? It's no surprise that it became a popular LDD request after Whitney Houston's cover of it became a huge pop hit nearly ten years later. This song was indeed fitting for the dedication.
27: (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (20) - 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.
26: KISS THE BRIDE – ELTON JOHN (27) - This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it wasn't one of his bigger hits.
25: TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) – SHEENA EASTON (30) - I generally prefer her slower songs, but this one was an exception. One of my all-time faves from her!
24: HUMAN TOUCH – RICK SPRINGFIELD (21) - I was never a huge fan of this song. One of my least favorites from him.
23: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE – THE TALKING HEADS (28) - OH HELL NO!! If you're gonna burn down the house, make sure that as many copies of this song as possible are inside said house!
22: DEAD GIVEAWAY - SHALAMAR (23) - This one isn't quite as good as "Second Time Around", but I like it a lot better than "Dancing In The Sheets".
21: ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – THE FIXX (29) - This song is very overplayed. What's sad is that this is the only song of theirs that gets any kind of recurrent airplay while other great songs of theirs are ignored.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL - Ah, his salute to the Four Seasons. I like this song a lot better than his other song on the chart this week.
20: I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA – CULTURE CLUB (18) - 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.
19: LAWYERS IN LOVE – JACKSON BROWNE (13) - I remember when a friend of mine thought that this song was called "Laurie's In Love" back in the day. I think the song's not bad, but I prefer many others from her.
18: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY – DONNA SUMMER (11) - Another overplayed song, but at least radio does play a few other songs by her, unlike The Fixx.
17: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS DUET WITH DOLLY PARTON (26) - I've grown to like this song a lot better than I have over the past few years. Still, there are other songs by both artists that I prefer.
16: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – LAURA BRANIGAN (19) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that Michael Bolton wrote this one (and later on recorded his own version). This is my favorite of Laura's 1983 hits (including "Gloria", which ranked on 1983's year-end list), but I slightly prefer Bolton's version.
15: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE (6) - Not sure how a song about stalking managed to spend eight weeks at #1, but whatever.
14: PROMISES, PROMISES – NAKED EYES (15) - 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).
13: TRUE – SPANDAU BALLET (17) - 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.
EXTRA: YELLOW SUBMARINE – THE BEATLES - Interesting how the sound effects in the song came about. As for the song itself, it's not bad, but definitely not their best.
12: FAR FROM OVER – FRANK STALLONE (14) - This was the only Top 40 hit from actor Sylvester Stallone's younger brother. It was a great song, IMO.
11: KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE (16) - This is definitely a lot better (and less played) than their other song on the chart this week!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR - Well what is it - a stranger or a battlefield? Those are two completely different things! But seriously, this song was on its way to becoming her second Top Ten hit (yes, I also thought she'd had more Top Ten hits up to this point). It was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by her.
10: DON’T CRY - ASIA (10) - They were somewhat of a flash in the pan, as they only had three Top 20 hits, in the span of slightly over a year. This was a good one, though my least favorite of their Top 40 hits.
9: (SHE’S SEXY) + 17 – THE STRAY CATS (12) - For some reason, I was never a big fan of this song. Definitely my least favorite of their Top 40 hits.
8: PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ – TACO (8) - Though the song was half a century old, it was remade very nicely to not sound too out of place for the 80s. I liked it.
LDD: STAND BY ME – MICKEY GILLEY - I used to consider this a mediocre cover of the Ben E. King classic, but I've heard it many times (usually here on AT40) over the past few years and it is actually now my favorite version of the song.
7: HUMAN NATURE – MICHAEL JACKSON (13) - 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.
6: SWEET DREAMS – THE EURYTHMICS (5) - The first of ten Top 40 hits from them, and it was their biggest hit, hitting #1 a few weeks back. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed.
5: MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL – AIR SUPPLY (9) - The first of two songs in the Top Five written by Jim Steinman. I liked both of them about the same - they're both great hits!
4: MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO (1) - One of two #1 songs from the movie Flashdance. I preferred the title track over this one.
3: THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS (3) - 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. That version is the one that gets virtually all of the recurrent airplay (and was the one that the radio stations I used to listen to played).
2: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART – BONNIE TYLER (4) - 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.
1: TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL (1) - 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 this week, and had actually topped the R&R chart two weeks before - must have sold a tad slower. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but was one of my least favorite songs from him.

[mrjukebox]

Before he played "Jump To It",Casey mentioned that Aretha Franklin had the most # 1 hits on the Billboard soul chart with 18-According to Joel Whitburn's "Top R&B Hits 1942-2004",Aretha racked up 20 # 1 hits on the soul chart-The last one was "Freeway Of Love" in 1985.

[mga707]

Sept 20, 2024 14:52:26 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

Before he played "Jump To It",Casey mentioned that Aretha Franklin had the most # 1 hits on the Billboard soul chart with 18-According to Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Hits 1942-2004",Aretha had a total of 20 # 1 hits on the soul chart,the last one was "Freeway Of Love" in 1985.

Surprised that apparently neither "Who's Zoomin' Who" nor "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" made it to the top of the R&B/Soul/Black chart. Ditto for her other hit late '80s duet, "Through the Storm".

[mrjukebox]

"Let Me Tickle Your Fancy" by Jermaine Jackson featured the members of Devo.

[SFGuy]

<<VALLEY GIRL - FRANK ZAPPA f/MOON UNIT ZAPPA (32) - Interesting that it took his hip 14-year old daughter to help him get his first Top 40 hit. Though kind of silly, I actually kinda liked this song, especially Moon Unit's dialogue. "Oh my GAWD!" "Ugh, gag me with a sp00n!" However, I'm wondering what possessed Frank to name his daughter Moon Unit? I bet she became the butt of many jokes (no pun intended).>>

He gave all of his children unusual names. Besides Moon Unit there is Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva.

[mrjukebox]

In early 1978,Cheech & Chong released a hilarious parody of "Float On" called "Bloat On"-It just missed the top forty peaking at # 41.

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 70s - September 28, 2024

This week's presentation - September 25, 1976

Droppers:
DR. TARR AND PROFESSOR FETHER - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (37) - This was the first Top 40 hit for "the Project". Though I preferred their 80s hits, especially the ones with Eric Woolfson on vocals, this was a good one too.
KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - THE MANHATTANS (34) - No big loss at all, as I found this song quite depressing, especially when they played the spoken part at the beginning. As we all know, I preferred "Shining Star" over this song any day!
I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE - HELEN REDDY (32) - It's kind of refreshing to hear a non-cheesy song from her. I don’t even mind the fact that this is disco.
STREET SINGIN - LADY FLASH (27) - The only hit for Barry Manilow's back-up singers. It was a good song but, of course, I preferred most of Barry's big hits.

40: FERNANDO - ABBA (debut) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "El Condor Pasa" by Simon & Garfunkel. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Abba, right up there with "Dancing Queen" and "Winner Takes It All".
39: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (33) - No, this was not the original version of the song Journey charted with at the end of 1981. It was completely different. But you already knew that, right? Anyway the song was pretty good, but sounds a lot like her other mid-70s hits. I preferred said Journey song.
38: THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (debut) - A true story about an ore freighter that was caught in a fierce storm in Lake Superior the year before, and ultimately sunk, killing all 29 crewmen on board. They generally edited this song, usually cutting from the verse about the wreck to the one about the memorial for the ship's crew, but they played the song intact this week. As depressing of a story as it is, I like the song - one of my favorite of his Top 40 hits.
37: YOU ARE THE WOMAN - FIREFALL (debut) - Oddly enough, this, Firefall's first hit, was their only Top Ten. They had two songs that just barely missed, however. This was a great song, but I preferred one of said near-misses, "Just Remember I Love You".
36: SUNRISE - ERIC CARMEN (40) - This was his third Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but I preferred his other two hits from earlier that year.
35: SUPERSTAR - PAUL DAVIS (36) - This was a tribute to many artists that were truly superstars, like Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. Not bad, but I preferred most of his other hits.
34: GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (38) - Great song! That is, if you’re into R&B disco, which, unfortunately, I’m not. But I realize that a lot of people are, so they probably like this song - and really, more power to them. It just doesn't do anything for me.
33: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (30) - As Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart, the second single from it was on its way down this week, having peaked at #12 for the past two weeks. The song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from what would become the top album of the year.
32: IT'S O.K. - THE BEACH BOYS (39) - The title pretty much matches my opinion of the song. I preferred their Top Ten hit, "Rock And Roll Music" from earlier in the year, as well as a few of their sixties hits that the band is most famous for.
31: THIS MASQUERADE - GEORGE BENSON (29) - 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: BETH - KISS (debut) - They may be more known for their hard rock songs, but their two biggest hits, both of which hit the Top Ten, were ballads, and those are among my favorites from them. I like this song and "Forever" about the same.
29: LET 'EM IN - WINGS (24) - One of the only songs I've ever heard that opens with a Westminster chime doorbell. As for the song, it is my favorite of Wings' two Top Five hits from 1976. I still preferred a few others from them.
28: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL (PART 1) - TAVARES (25) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: NADIA'S THEME (THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) - BARRY DE VORZON & PERRY BOTKIN JR. (14) - The Theme for "The Young And The Restless". I definitely recognize the music, even if I have never seen any episodes of it. I like it - a great chill-out type song.
27: (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER - BLUE OYSTER CULT (31) - A classic rock staple here. The one that radio usually plays features the instrumental bridge, but it was cut out in this song, such was the case during its entire run on AT40, I believe.
26: ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME - DIANA ROSS (28) -I assume that it's no coincidence that this sounded so much like her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This was a good song - much better than her previous hit "Love Hangover", but I preferred her other 1976 hit, "Theme From Mahogany".
25: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (14) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1, but didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave the Top 40, as its drop was rather slow. As a result of its tenacity, the song was the second most popular song of 1976, behind "Silly Love Songs" by Wings. Of course, I think we all know that I prefer this one, right?
24: MAGIC MAN - HEART (26) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou! This was their second Top 40 hit, and it made the Top Ten, unlike their debut hit, "Crazy On You". Both songs still get regular airplay on classic rock and oldies stations (and I remember both from back in the day, since WLS played them regularly).
23: I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU - BAY CITY ROLLERS (35) - The first of two remakes of this song to make the Top 40. The second one came in early 1989 for Samantha Fox. I like both of them about the same.
22: SHOWER THE PEOPLE - JAMES TAYLOR (22) - This is a song that has aged quite well - still sounds great 40+ years later!
21: ROCK'N ME - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (27) - Another one I remember from back in the day! Glad this one got to sneak in a week at the top before Rod Stewart began his marathon run up there.
20: YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - THE BEE GEES (10) - They were in the midst their second wave of popularity at this point, as this song, like "Jive Talkin'" the year before, was a #1 hit. It was so/so, but I preferred other hits from them, especially from Saturday Night Fever.
19: THAT'LL BE THE DAY - LINDA RONSTADT (20) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”).
18: WHO'D SHE COO - THE OHIO PLAYERS (18) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”).
17: WHAM BAM (SHANG-A-LANG) - SILVER (19) - Track 11 on Volume 2 of Barry Scott Presents: Lost 45s of the 70's & 80's, a CD I've listened to many a time, so I've heard this song many times as a result. It's a good one!
16: SHE'S GONE - HALL & OATES (20) - This was their second hit, and the best was definitely yet to come for this dynamic duo! This song was so/so, but definitely not their best.
15: GETAWAY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (17) - Indeed, one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1970s! Though this wasn't quite as good as "That's The Way Of The World" and "September", it was still a good song nevertheless.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: The story about the first country song to hit #1 on the Pop chart ("Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) by Tex Williams). Thankfully, they only played a drop piece, as I did not like the song at all.
14: A LITTLE BIT MORE - DR. HOOK (15) - Meh, this used to be one of my favorite songs from them, but for some reason, such is not the case anymore. I listened to "I Never Cry" by Alice Cooper, which the above Optional Extra replaced for whatever reason, while this song was playing.
13: STILL THE ONE - ORLEANS (16) - They had three Top 20 hits, and I really liked all three of them about the same, but this one would be my favorite by a thin margin over the other two. Glad that they played the entire song (as I seem to recall that they butchered this one more often than not).
12: WITH YOUR LOVE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (12) - Another high point for JessieLou! This one sounded very much like their big hit "Miracles", from the year before. I liked it, but I preferred their two 1978 hits when Marty Balin was still lead singer.
11: SAY YOU LOVE ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (11) - Their self-titled album had been out for over a year and would finally hit #1 on the album chart a few weeks later, setting a record for the slowest climb to #1 on that chart. As for this song, I thought it was good, though I slightly preferred "Rhiannon".
10: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS (5) - This song just missed 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.
9: DISCO DUCK (PART 1) - RICK DEES (13) - OK, how in the world did this goofy, annoying song get to #1? Oh yeah, disco was all the rage back in 1976. Whatever...
8: IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW - CHICAGO (9) - Now here's one I heard at least once a day back in the fall of 1976! But I don't think I ever got tired of it. Has a very haunting melody to it (so I guess it was fitting that it would hit #1 on Halloween weekend).
7: SUMMER - WAR (8) - Oddly enough, despite the title, this song was peaking on the weekend after the autumnal equinox. Of course, I like this song at any time of year.
6: DEVIL WOMAN - CLIFF RICHARD (7) - His first Top 40 hit in over a decade ended up being his biggest hit ever, peaking at #6 this week. This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his 80s hits.
5: LOWDOWN - BOZ SCAGGS (6) - He had a few low charters in the early-70s and a minor Top 40 hit earlier in 1976, but this is the song that really put him on the map. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his other hits that charted after this.
4: (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (2) - While I prefer a few others by them, this still is better than their 1979 whinefest "Please Don't Go".
3: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY & THE BIG APPLE BAND (4) - This was an interesting disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. One of the most successful instrumentals of all time (and THE most successful instrumental to be adapted from a classical composition).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORE THAN A FEELING - BOSTON - Here's one I remember from back in the day - I thought they were singing "Poor little Felix, so I sent all the apples to work". Too bad radio stations usually play the single version of the song, which is chopped down way too much, IMO. Definitely one of my favorite songs by Boston.
2: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (3) - The brother of half of the duo Seals & Crofts, who had recently charted with "Get Closer" peaked 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...)
1: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - WILD CHERRY (1) - Here's another song that had a bad cover version years later. Honestly - ever since Vanilla Ice went and effed up this song in early 1991, I never was able to look at this song in the same light ever again!

[Hervard]

American Top 40: The 80s - September 28, 2024

This week's presentation - September 26, 1981

DROPPERS:
I'M IN LOVE - EVELYN KING (40) - Hmmm, I guess she'd dropped the Champagne from her name at this point. Anyway, I don't remember exactly how this song goes, but I seem to recall that there was a resemblance between it and "Serious" by Donna Allen
CHLOE - ELTON JOHN (34) - One of his lesser known hits, as well as one of his lowest peaking songs. It was a good song, but I prefer many others from him.
YOU COULD TAKE MY HEART AWAY - SILVER CONDOR (32) - One of many faceless MOR-type songs that charted in 1981. I thought it was a great song and quite underrated.

LW#1: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE
40: SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD - BILLY JOEL (debut) - One of his more obscure hits, and, IMO, one of his weaker songs. Don't get me wrong; it is pretty good, but I preferred many others over this.
39: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (39) - This was the last of three Top 40 hits for this southern rock band best known for "Ramblin' Man", their biggest hit from eight years before. This one was by far my favorite from them, and feel it deserved a higher peak of #39.
38: SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS (SOME DAYS ARE STONE) - JOHN DENVER (36) - His first hit of two hits during the 1980s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his material from the 1970s (most of which I remember quite well, as my Mom used to play his records all the time when I was real little).
37: FIRE AND ICE - PAT BENATAR (30) - Her second of three Top 40 hits in 1981. It was a good one, though I preferred "Treat Me Right".
36: REALLY WANNA KNOW YOU - GARY WRIGHT (24) - This was Gary's obscure third hit. Of course, since it wasn't overplayed, that might be why it's my favorite song from him (though "Love Is Alive" would be a close second).
35: SHE'S A BAD MAMA JAMA - CARL CARLTON (debut) - He had a Top Ten hit back in 1974, his rendition of the oft-covered "Everlasting Love", and this was his second offering, which would peak at #21 about a month later. Of his two hits, this one would be my favorite. The Spice Girls' "Say You'll Be There" greatly resembles this song, especially the chords.
34: GENERAL HOSPI-TALE - THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS (35) - I'm sure I would have appreciated this song better if I was a General Hospital fan, but that was hardly the case. I avoided soap operas like the plague (which wasn't easy, as all of my babysitters back in the day - that was all they ever watched on TV).
33: JUST ONCE - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM (38) - This was Ingram's first placement on the chart, and he was usually either the featured artist or part of a duet (or trio, in the case of "What About Me"). It was also the first of two songs by Quincy Jones on which Ingram provided the vocals. Of course, I preferred the other one ("One Hundred Ways", which charted the following spring), but this was a good one as well.
32: THE BREAKUP SONG - THE GREG KIHN BAND (17) - This is the only song in Hour 1 of this show that receives any kind of recurrent play (though I do occasionally hear the Pat Benatar song). It is one that I remember from back in the day! WLS played this one very regularly. I like it, but preferred their biggest hit ever, the top five hit "Jeopardy" from about a year and a half later.
ARCHIVES: DOCK OF THE BAY - OTIS REDDING - Since I didn't usually listen to the oldies stations when I was younger, I'm more familiar with Michael Bolton's remake of this song, and actually prefer that version over this one.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HER TOWN TOO - JAMES TAYLOR & J.D. SOUTHER - This Extra was changed due to the recent death of J.D. Souther, whom had only one solo Top 40 hit, as well as this one-time collaboration that saved Souther from the dreaded "one hit wonder" title. It was a great song - too bad it just barely missed the Top Ten (at least it was a Top Five hit on the R&R chart). I do, however, slightly prefer said solo hit, "You're Only Lonely", from late 1979.
31: TRYIN' TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU - BOB SEGER (debut) - This was the first of two releases from Seger's album live album Nine Tonight (the second, a live version of "Feel Like A Number", originally on his Stranger In Town album, peaked at #48). I really liked this song - very energetic sounding, like many live recordings.
30: WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL - THE FOUR TOPS (37) - They were indeed most famous for their hits from the '60s, but this comeback hit was among their best, IMO.
29: COOL LOVE - PABLO CRUISE (16) - This song was their only #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart. I liked most of their Top 40 hits - my favorites (besides this one) would be "What'cha Gonna Do" and "Love Will Find A Way".
28: DRAW OF THE CARDS - KIM CARNES (28) - The follow-up to her monster hit "Bette Davis Eyes". While it's a pretty good song, IMO, it doesn't hold a candle to what became the top song of 1981.
27: WE'RE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER - AL JARREAU (33) - He was mainly a smooth jazz singer, but he did have a few Top 40 crossover hits, and this was his most successful. I liked it, but preferred a few others from him, including a few that did not chart on AT40.
LDD: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER - 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.
26: I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU - RICK SPRINGFIELD (31) - There are several songs on this week's countdown that have a sound-alike. In this case, the songs are from the same artist, as well as the same album. Springfield's next Top 40 hit, "Love Is Alright Tonight" sounded very much like this one. Both songs are good, but I preferred a few others from Mr. Springfield.
25: THEME FROM "GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) - JOEY SCARBURY (15) - One of the most successful TV show themes of all time (as well as one of my favorites)! This one almost got up to the top, but just barely fell short (it did manage to sneak in a week on top of the R&R chart). Is this show out on CD yet?
24: HARD TO SAY - DAN FOGELBERG (29) - This was actually the first release from Fogelberg's Innocent Age album, which had come out about a month before. "Same Old Lang Syne", which had never been on any album, was tacked onto it after it had had its chart run earlier in the year. Anyway, like most of Fogelberg's hits, this one was a great one.
23: SUPER FREAK - RICK JAMES (26) - Of course, the bass for this song was used in "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer nearly a decade later. That's probably the only reason that I somewhat like it, though it's nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
22: BREAKING AWAY - BALANCE (23) - The first of two songs with this title to hit the Hot 100 in 1981, although the second one, by Al Jarreau was called "Breakin' Away". Balance decides to be grammatically correct with another "sound-alike" song. I always thought that this song sounds a lot like "Tired Of Toein' The Line" by Rocky Burnette.
ARCHIVES: HONEY - BOBBY GOLDSBORO - Meh, this one was a little too depressing for my liking.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC - THE POLICE - This band had a ton of chart success in the 1980s, including one of the biggest hits of that decade. This song was their very first Top Five hit. I liked it, but my favorite of their 1981 hits was "Don't Stand So Close To Me".
21: I COULD NEVER MISS YOU - LULU (22) - aka "The Immigrant" part 2 (as it sounds very much like Neil Sedaka's #22 hit from 1975). I liked this and her #1 hit "To Sir With Love" about the same.
20: IN YOUR LETTER - REO SPEEDWAGON (21) - The fourth and final single from the biggest album of 1981, Hi Infidelity. I like this song, although I preferred the first two singles from the album. Nevertheless, all of them are great songs!
19: SHARE YOUR LOVE - KENNY ROGERS (25) - This song featured Gladys Knight & The Pips singing backup. Though not his best song, it was still a great one.
18: PRIVATE EYES - HALL & OATES (27) - One of two #1 songs from the duo in 1981. Though they both sounded somewhat alike, I preferred "Kiss On My List" by a fairly wide margin.
17: THE NIGHT OWLS - THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (20) - Casey mentioned how they were the most successful Australian born band, with eight Top 40 hits thus far, including this one, which would eventually become their fifth Top Ten hit. It was a good song; one I remember quite well. I did prefer the two follow-ups, however.
16: THE VOICE - THE MOODY BLUES (18) - Like the Four Tops, they're known more for their earlier hits, but I actually preferred their 80s hits, this one included - one of my favorites from them.
15: JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD (13) - Two steps above the most successful Australian group is the most successful male from Australia. This is possibly THE song from 1981 that receives the most recurrent airplay (but "Bette Davis Eyes" would be giving it a run for its money). Despite the overplay, it has held up quite well!
14: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - SHEENA EASTON (19) - Sheena's second Top Ten hit, following "Morning Train" from earlier in the year. I much preferred this song - one of my all-time faves from her!
13: THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY - THE BEACH BOYS (14) - They decided to go the way of Stars On 45 and put together a medley of eight of their most well-known hits. It was a good one - I liked all of the songs they put together.
12: SLOW HAND - THE POINTER SISTERS (10) - Like the Joey Scarbury song, this was one of several hits that was held out of #1 by "Endless Love" (but did top the R&R chart for a pair of weeks). It was definitely one of my favorite songs by them!
11: HOLD ON TIGHT - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (12) - As we all know, I preferred their 70s hits. Their musical quality took a nosedive in the 80s, IMO.
ARCHIVES: TIGHTEN UP - ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS - Ugh, this was annoying!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: OUR LIPS ARE SEALED - THE GO-GO'S - This song only got as high as #20, but what a chart run it had - 15 weeks in the Top 40, an unusually long run for a song that came nowhere near the Top Ten. This was my favorite song from them.
10: START ME UP - THE ROLLING STONES (11) - They started out 17 years before and were still on a roll, as this song climbed as high as #2, becoming their biggest hit of the 1980s. I'm sort of burned out on this one, due to overplay, but it's still not bad.
9: LADY (YOU BRING ME UP) - THE COMMODORES (8) - The first of two songs in this week's Top Ten that Lionel Richie is involved with. Possibly my favorite of the two.
8: STEP BY STEP - EDDIE RABBITT (9) - 1981 was definitely his best year on the Pop charts, as he had two Top Five hits, including a #1 hit, "I Love A Rainy Night" from earlier in the year. While I prefer that song, I really like this one as well, and liked the novelty of the song remaining true to its title for five consecutive weeks.
LDD: THE WANDERER - DONNA SUMMER - I actually used to think that this song was a slightly altered remake of Dion's song of the same title but, in fact, it's a completely different song altogether. This was a great song, IMO, and it did fit the LDD.
7: ARTHUR'S THEME (BEST THAT YOU CAN DO) - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (7) - This week's Top Ten must have been really tight, as the entire top seven was at a standstill, including this song, which was a future #1. This was the theme from the hilarious Dudley Moore movie Arthur. It was a great song - definitely my favorite song from Christopher Cross, as well as one of my favorite songs of the entire decade!
6: WHO'S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY (6) - Even though Journey had been charting for three years, with many songs that still get regular airplay, this was their very first Top Ten hit (yes, I was just as surprised as you were). They would have many others, though. I liked this song, especially the great Santana-like guitar solo at the end by Neil Schon
5: (THERE'S) NO GETTING OVER ME - RONNIE MILSAP (5) - Wow, this was definitely 1981, with so many country crossovers. Oddly enough, this was his only Top Ten pop hit. It was a good one - the beginning of this song and that of his 1982 hit "Any Day Now" sound very similar.
4: URGENT - FOREIGNER (4) - Hey, how about that? This song is at number four for a fourth week, from an album called "4" by Foreigner, a four-man band! It was a pretty good song, but, to tell the truth, as big an album as it was, I was never too crazy about any of the singles from 4, for some reason.
3: STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND - STEVIE NICKS WITH TOM PETTY (3) - This song was spending its fifth of six weeks at #3, which, at the time, was a record (and remains the pre-PPW record). This song was pretty good, but I preferred Nicks' two other Top 20 hits from Bella Donna.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEARTBREAK HOTEL - THE JACKSONS - Another "tribute Extra", this time, in honor of Tito Jackson, who passed away back on September 15. This one, their only Top 40 hit from 1981, was not a "Hot Elvis Remake" - it was actually an original song. Though I'm not generally a fan of their later hits, this song was actually pretty good.
2: QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON (2) - Her second Top 40 hit, and my favorite of her two 1981 hits. Of course, I preferred all three of her 1982 hits over this one.
1: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (1) - This song broke the record for the longest time at #1 for a vocal duet this week (and thank goodness it broke the tie, as the song it tied, "In The Year 2525" was definitely a "No. Just no" song due to how depressing it is). I used to dislike this song, but now I think it's a good one, though I wouldn't want to hear it all the time.