Chart Critiques

[reachinforthestars]

Apr 3, 2009 23:01:04 GMT -5 Hervard said:

3: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (4) - This is the song that started it off for Duran Duran

Duran Duran had 4 hits in the UK and in other parts of the world prior to this song. They even had 3 songs on the U.S. dance chart prior to this song. But it's certainly the song (or some say it was the video) that made them hugely popular in the U.S.

[mkarns]

April 8, 1978:

40: BABY HOLD ON – EDDIE MONEY (good debut, though I like his 80s hits better)
39: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – BILLY JOEL (meh; this was his real breakthrough hit, but it's also one of his dullest; the much more interesting "Movin' Out" was in as an optional extra.)
38: FANTASY – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (great; should've been a bigger hit)
37: THIS TIME I’M IN IT FOR LOVE - PLAYER (OK but not as memorable as "Baby Come Back")
36: TWO DOORS DOWN – DOLLY PARTON (upbeat song that was more country than "Here You Come Again", but still with crossover appeal)
35: BOOGIE SHOES – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (first of five Saturday Night Fever hits; one of the best of them, if not the biggest)
34: FOOLING YOURSELF - STYX (good but I prefer "Come Sail Away".)
33: THE CIRCLE IS SMALL – GORDON LIGHTFOOT (pleasant, well sung Lightfoot song, though not as interesting lyrically as "Sundown" or "Edmund Fitzgerald", among others)
32: I’M GONNA TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING - RUBICON (more interesting for the band's personnel than the song; it featured a former member of Sly & the Family Stone and future members of Night Ranger.)
31: FALLING – LEBLANC & CARR (blah)
30: YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT – JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (great; wish it weren't edited here.)
29: DISCO INFERNO - TRAMMPS (propulsive SNF disco number; still much heard today)
28: I GO CRAZY – PAUL DAVIS (pretty dull, though its chart longevity was impressive)
27: IMAGINARY LOVER – ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (good musicians, but pretty uninteresting song, I thought)
26: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND – ANDREW GOLD (nice, though I never knew this song until after it became the Golden Girls theme. Thus, it's very well known today, but not mostly in this particular version)
25: FEELS SO GOOD – CHUCK MANGIONE (well played instrumental)
24: LADY LOVE – LOU RAWLS (typically classy soul song)
23: BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT – GENE COTTON (decent, not particularly special)
22: SWEET TALKING WOMAN – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (very good)
21: WHICH WAY IS UP - STARGARD (sort of a lost disco tune; interesting)
20: FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT (excellent)
19: COUNT ON ME – JEFFERSON STARSHIP (OK, but I prefer either the Jefferson Airplane or their 1980s hits over this)
18: ALWAYS & FOREVER - HEATWAVE (very slow, but nicely sung)
17: WITH A LITTLE LUCK - WINGS (well done if somewhat lightweight McCartney composition; highest debut of week, though as pointed out on here not the highest in AT40 history to that point, as Casey claimed in one of the show's memorable mistakes.)
16: GOODBYE GIRL – DAVID GATES (I liked this better than most of his Bread hits)
15: RUNNIN’ ON EMPTY – JACKSON BROWNE (very good; came from a live album with many cuts recorded in my home area, at Columbia, Maryland's Merriweather Post Pavilion)
14: EBONY EYES – BOB WELCH (great)
13: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU – ROBERTA FLACK (her second duet hit with Donny Hathaway; very nice)
12: WE’LL NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (pleasant MOR)
11: OUR LOVE – NATALIE COLE (excellent; powerful singing)
10: JACK & JILL - RAYDIO (clever adaptation of the children's rhyme)
9: THUNDER ISLAND – JAY FERGUSON (one of my favorites in the countdown)
8: LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB (a bit different sounding from his previous and future hits; worked well)
7: DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS (meh)
6: EMOTION – SAMANTHA SANG (essentially a Bee Gees hit in all but name, as Samantha blends in with the group's backing and production; nicely done, but Gibb-mania was frankly approaching the level of overkill by this point.)
5: IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU – YVONNE ELLIMAN (brilliant Saturday Night Fever hit)
4: CAN’T SMILE WITHOUT YOU – BARRY MANILOW (meh; at least this time he put out a midtempo song instead of the usual big, often overwrought ballad)
3: LAY DOWN SALLY – ERIC CLAPTON (uptempo if low key song typified many of his pop hits of this period; very good)
2: STAYIN’ ALIVE – THE BEE GEES (regarded as iconic today, and with good reason.)
1: NIGHT FEVER – THE BEE GEES (the immediately preceding song was better, but still good.)

[reachinforthestars]

Apr 6, 2009 12:10:31 GMT -5 mkarns said:

13: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU – ROBERTA FLACK (her second duet hit with Donny Hathaway; very nice)

From a Top 40 perspective, this was their third hit together:
1971: You've Got A Friend (#29)
1972: Where Is the Love (#5)

[mkarns]

Apr 6, 2009 18:42:44 GMT -5 reachinforthestars said:

Apr 6, 2009 12:10:31 GMT -5 mkarns said:

13: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU – ROBERTA FLACK (her second duet hit with Donny Hathaway; very nice)

From a Top 40 perspective, this was their third hit together:
1971: You've Got A Friend (#29)
1972: Where Is the Love (#5)

Oh, that's right. I was thinking of "Where Is the Love" but forgot about "You've Got a Friend."

[freakyflybry]

40: Diana Ross - So Close (40) - nothing really special, she's had much better
39: Phil Collins - I Don't Care Anymore (debut) - I like this one too but he's also had much better
38: Jefferson Starship - Winds Of Change (38) - this one was pretty good, I kinda felt a Lindsey Buckingham vibe in this one
37: DeBarge - I Like It (debut) - it's ok but they've had better
36: Supertramp - My Kind Of Lady (31) - definitely different for them... but that makes it my least favourite Supertramp hit
35: Toto - I Won't Hold You Back (debut) - this, however, IS one of my favourite Toto songs
34: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Even Now (debut) - I like this one but he's had a few better songs
LDD: REO Speedwagon - Sweet Time [1982] - again, I like this, but prefer a few others from them
33: Steel Breeze - Dreamin' Is Easy (30) - I prefer "You Don't Want Me Anymore" but this is cool too
32: Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle - You And I (26) - it's ok but nothing special

31: Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (36) - great song! Though I don't remember hearing it... must've slept through it or something
30: The Thompson Twins - Lies (32) - again, I must've slept through this, but I do really like it
29: Dan Fogelberg - Make Love Stay (29) - rather oddly, of all the songs to wake up during, and KEEP me awake... it was a Dan Fogelberg song! I like this but it's not one of my favourites from him
28: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Change Of Heart (28) - similarly, I like this but he's had better
27: Prince & The Revolution - Little Red Corvette (37) - this, however, is one of my favourite Prince songs... even if it is disgusting! Seriously, who does a song about used condoms?
26: Billy Joel - Allentown (23) - This song is pretty good, and very timely given the current economic crisis
25: ABC - Poison Arrow (27) - I like this one, but prefer a few of their other songs
24: Men At Work - Down Under (22) - this, however, is my favourite from them, and an 80's mix show essential!
23: Patti Austin & James Ingram - Baby Come To Me (21) - this one's alright but I prefer some other James Ingram songs
22: Joe Jackson – Breaking Us In Two (18) - I like this but prefer his previous two hits
21: The Stray Cats – Stray Cat Strut (11) - great song! Probably a close second favourite for me behind "Rock This Town"

20: Pat Benatar - Little Too Late (25) - good song but I prefer most of her other hits
19: Christopher Cross - All Right (12) - I like this one but prefer almost all of his other hits
18: Eric Clapton – I've Got A Rock 'N' Roll Heart (19) - good song but I prefer his 70's and 90's hits
17: Earth, Wind & Fire - Fall In Love With Me (17) - I like this but prefer their earlier stuff
16: After The Fire – Der Kommisar (20) - great song! Another one of those memorable 80's one hit wonders
15: Michael Jackson - Beat It (24) - great song! One of my favourites from him, this song is timeless
14: Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy (16) - I really like this one too, my favourite from them
13: Frida - I Know There's Something Going On (15) - good song! Shame the ABBA members didn't have much solo success
12: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Shame On The Moon (02) - I like this one, but I bet Rodney Crowell was jealous given the story! Heck, how high did he get as an artist? #39? And his compositions like this outdid his own singing!
11: Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (14) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
10: Golden Earring - Twilight Zone (13) - great song! This is probably the best example of the old AT40 shows making a song like this, which I never thought much of before I got into AT40, into a favourite of mine

09: Hall & Oates - One On One (09) - good song but I prefer most of their other hits
08: Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (08) - great song! Probably my favourite from them, as it isn't AS overplayed as some of their other big hits but still not obscure at all
LDD: Neil Diamond - Beautiful Noise [1976] - the dedication was quite sad as the writer's friend had gone deaf As for the song itself, I like it, I generally don't mind his uptempo songs like this
07: Styx - Mr. Roboto (10) - great song! Definitely one of my favourites from them
06: Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton - We've Got Tonight (07) - No. Just no.
05: The Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang (05) - great song! One of my favourites from them, I enjoy most of their stuff
04: Lionel Richie - You Are (06) - I like this but prefer the "Can't Slow Down" singles
03: Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf (04) - great song! One of my favourites from them though I prefer "Ordinary World" for example
02: Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? (03) - great song! An ideal way to start off their career
01: Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (01) [4th week at #1] - loves this! There were so many great songs out this time in 1983 that I enjoyed most of the show

[mkarns]

Rodney Crowell's only top 40 appearance on the pop chart was "Ashes By Now" which reached #37 in 1980 (more recently I think Lee Ann Womack had a country hit with it.) He did finally achieve substantial success as a country artist starting in the late 80s; his 1988 album "Diamonds and Dirt" spun off five (?) #1 country hits.

[mrjukebox]

Rodney Crowell's ex-wife is Rosanne Cash.

[mmb]

Here's the Bilzrat's take on this week's AMERICAN TOP 40: THE 80's from 04/19/1986:


40: MOVE AWAY - CULTURE CLUB: Not bad, though I'll admit Boy George sounds like Beatrice Arthur on this song.

39: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF - JOURNEY: Not their best work, largely because they were reduced to a 3-man band, but listenable.

38: A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE (IS ALL IT TAKES) - NEW EDITION: Underrated song, not played as much.

37: NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME - SADE: This is going to draw a backlash, but in my opinion. NO, JUST NO!!!

36: ROUGH BOY - ZZ TOP: In my book, one of their best songs, though it's not a rockin or boogie kind of song.

35: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA: One of her 10 best. From the movie AT CLOSE RANGE starring her then-husband Sean Penn.

34: THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT - LOVERBOY:OK, but WHEN IT'S OVER is one of their better power ballads.

33: IS IT LOVE - MR. MISTER: Like it, very underrated.

32: NIKITA - ELTON JOHN: Good, but not one of his best, his 80's material ebbs and flows, EMPTY GARDEN and A WORD IN SPANISH were his best songs, though neither of them reached the top 10.

31: ON MY OWN - PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD: Despite being a Michael McDonald fan, no, just no.

30: FOR AMERICA - JACKSON BROWNE:OK. His followup IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART was a better song, and it never made the top 40.

29: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE - MIKE & THE MECHANICS: Good song, video is funny and clever.

LDD: THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR - DIONNE WARWICK: Overplayed but still listenable.

28: I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ: Innocuous but won't make your day either.

27: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LEVEL 42: Dancable and listenable.

26: SATURDAY LOVE - CHERRELLE WITH ALEXANDER O'NEAL: OK today, but found it intolerable then.

25: I DO WHAT I DO (THEME FROM "9 1/2 WEEKS") - JOHN TAYLOR: No, just no.

24: OVERJOYED - STEVIE WONDER: On paper, it should've been a top 10 song, but alas it wasn't still enjoyable.

23: THESE DREAMS - HEART: It's awesome that Nancy's soft voice took this track to number one first, these songs will never be as good as their tracks from the 70's but this is listenable.

22: GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON: Overblown but still listenable, I'll always think of the NBA tribute to Julius "Dr. J" Erving when I hear this song.

21: SO FAR AWAY - DIRE STRAITS: Not their best, but listenable. Mark Knopfler's guitar is great even if his voice isn't.

20: IF YOU LEAVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK: Innocuous if overplayed, from the movie PRETTY IN PINK, but you knew that.

19: SECRET LOVERS - ATLANTIC STARR: Tolerable today, didn't care for it then.

LDD: ANGEL - MADONNA: One of the most underrated songs recorded by the 80's version of Elton John (in terms of how they dominated their decades)

18: BAD BOY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE: Dancable

17: I THINK IT'S LOVE - JERMAINE JACKSON: This should've been Jermaine's 3rd top 10 hit of his career. Alas.

16: I CAN'T WAIT - STEVIE NICKS: Another backlash from the crew, in my book, no, just no!!!

15: AMERICAN STORM - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND: Sounds too much like their early 70's material and their 83 song EVEN NOW.

14: TAKE ME HOME - PHIL COLLINS: Still a great song that stands the test of time.

13: YOUR LOVE - THE OUTFIELD: Not bad, my favorite songs from them are VOICES OF BABYLON and WINNING IT ALL!!!

12: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY - JANET JACKSON: I understand this is Janet's first song to crack the top 40, but in my book. NO, JUST NO!!! It would take me awhile to like her later songs.

11: R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP: As opposed to B.O.R.N. IN THE U.S.A. Enjoyable tribute to the Indiana native's musical influences.

10: TENDER LOVE - FORCE M.D.'S: No, Just No. From the movie KRUSH GROOVE.

9: WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE - VAN HALEN: Truthfully not one of their best songs, I think it only made the top 10, because of the new allegiance with Sammy Hagar, DREAMS was a much better song.

8: HARLEM SHUFFLE - THE ROLLING STONES: Not played much today, enjoyable then, video was cute.

7: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX: Except for a reference to the game show HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, I never cared for this song.

6: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS: It took me years to understand the artistic greatness of Michael Hutchence, didn't care for the song then, I listen to it now.

5/LDD: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS: When I was young, I thought the song was called WESTERN GIRLS, and I thought the drum beat was that of a galloping horse. Enjoyable, what do you guys think does Neil Tennant sound like Al Stewart? (YEAR OF THE CAT, TIME PASSAGES)

4: ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO: Silly if listenable.

3: ADDICTED TO LOVE - ROBERT PALMER: Still stands the test of time.

2: MANIC MONDAY - THE BANGLES: Nice song, to me, more in tune with the beauty of Susanna Hoffs than the song itself, written by Prince under a psuedonym.

1: KISS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION: OK. Truthfully I prefer the Tom Jones/Art of Noise version from 1988.

[freakyflybry]

April 19, 1986

40. Culture Club - Move Away (new) - after a few mediocre singles, this put them back on form
39. Journey - Be Good To Yourself (new) - good song though I prefer many of their earlier (and even some of their later) songs
38. New Edition - A Little Bit Of Love (Is All It Takes) (38) - this was pretty good, surprised to hear they didn't replace Bobby Brown immediately when he left and recorded as a foursome for this song!
37. Sade - Never As Good As The First Time (new) - surprisingly upbeat for her, I liked this
36. ZZ Top - Rough Boy (new) - from an upbeat Sade song to a ZZ Top ballad! What's this chart coming to? I like this but prefer their upbeat rockers
35. Madonna - Live To Tell (new) - good song though I prefer many others by her
34. Loverboy - This Could Be The Night (21) - one of their most underrated, I really like this one
33. Mr. Mister - Is It Love (40) - good song though I prefer their #1's
32. Elton John - Nikita (17) - I like this but prefer most of his other hits
31. Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own (new) - No. Just no.
30. Jackson Browne - For America (31) - this was pretty good though I prefer his earlier stuff
29. Mike & the Mechanics - All I Need Is A Miracle (37) - great song! Possibly my favourite from them
LDD: Dionne Warwick - That's What Friends Are For - the dedication to pen pals was quite interesting, as for the song itself, it's ok but I generally can take it or leave it
28. Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait (36) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
27. Level 42 - Something About You (32) - as much as I like this song, I must've slept through it.
26. Cherelle & Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love (28) - this was ok, but I prefer his next hit "Fake"
25. John Taylor - I Do What I Do (30) - I prefer him in Duran Duran but this was alright too
24. Stevie Wonder - Overjoyed (24) - a nice enough song, but he's had many better... I slept through this one too
23. Heart - These Dreams (13) - great song! One of my favourite Heart songs
22. Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All (29) - one of my favourite Whitney ballads though I prefer other songs from her
21. Dire Straits - So Far Away (22) - good song! I like all of their top 40 hits as well as a few that missed
20. OMD - If You Leave (26) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
19. Atlantic Starr - Secret Lovers (11) - probably my favourite from them
LDD: Madonna - Angel - good song, though I prefer most of her other 80's hits
18. Gloria Estefan - Bad Boy (23) - I like this but prefer most of her other hits
17. Jermaine Jackson - I Think It's Love (18) - good song but I prefer his 1984 hits
16. Stevie Nicks - I Can't Wait (16) - I like this one but prefer most of her earlier hits
15. Bob Seger - American Storm (20) - Looks like on the AT40 forums, this was compared to "Even Now", and I definitely see the resemblance... this song was alright though I prefer most of his earlier stuff
14. Phil Collins - Take Me Home (19) [image] - great song! One of many memorable songs he had in the 80's
13. The Outfield - Your Love (15) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
12. Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately (14) - good first big hit for her but I prefer her later stuff generally
11. John Mellencamp - R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (4) - I like this but prefer many other songs from him
10. Force M.D.'s - Tender Love (10) - a nice slow jam, sounded ahead of its time given it sounds more 90's!
9. Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love (12) - great song! This showed Sammy Hagar was the right fit to become their lead singer
8. Rolling Stones - Harlem Shuffle (9) - not bad though I prefer most of their other hits
7. Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way (7) - good song, another 80's mix show essential
6. INXS - What You Need (5) - great song! One of my favourites from them though I prefer the "Kick" singles
5/LDD: Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (8) - great song! The dedication was rather fascinating too
4. Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (1) - great song! I prefer the version without the chronology and the regular verses though
3. Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love (6) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
2. The Bangles - Manic Monday (3) - I like this one but prefer many of their later hits
1. Prince - Kiss (2) - I like this but prefer most of his other big hits

[Hervard]

This was a repeat from two years back, before I discovered this show. That means I have this show, which will come in handy if my connection screws up.

A whole ton of droppers this week. Six of them, to be exact. You sure don’t see that on the charts nowadays (unless a lot of songs go recurrent simultaneously):

Charlie Sexton - Beats So Lonely (39) - This song was OK, but nothing I’d go out of my way to hear.
Whitney Houston - How Will I Know (35) - Meh, kinda overplayed, so no big loss.
Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out (34) - Pretty good song. I have it on several other shows.
Opus - Live Is Life (33) - Not a big fan of it. I can see why it peaked so low.
Starship - Sara (27) - Like the Whitney song, quite overplayed, so no big loss.
ELO - Calling America (25) - Good song, one of my favorites by them. Shame to see it drop off

40: MOVE AWAY - CULTURE CLUB (debut) - I like this song. Casey mentioned that this was their first hit in over a year; however, their comeback was less than stellar, as this was their only song from the album “From Luxury To Heartache” and even it didn’t hit the Top Ten. I felt it was somewhat underrated.
39: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF - JOURNEY (debut) - This song was pretty good, but it was my least favorite release from “Raised On Radio”.
38: A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE (IS ALL IT TAKES) (38) - NEW EDITION - Pretty good song, but I preferred their two 1985 hits.
37: NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME (debut) - SADE - Meh, not really one of my favorite songs by Sade. I preferred “Smooth Operator” and “Paradise”.
36: ROUGH BOY - ZZ TOP (debut) - Love this song! Possibly my favorite song from the band, who’s known for their upbeat songs, but this was a ballad.
35: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA (debut) - Good song, one of her better #1s.
34: THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT - LOVERBOY (21) - Good song, definitely one of my favorite songs by the band. So odd that they’ve only had two Top Ten hits, as some of their low charters get so much airplay that one would assume that they were former Top Ten hits.
33: IS IT LOVE - MR. MISTER (40) - Pretty good song, but I prefer “Broken Wings” and “Something Real”
32: NIKITA - ELTON JOHN (17) - Good song, but he has had many better songs.
31: ON MY OWN (debut) - PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD - I like this song a lot, such was not the case back when it was on the chart, at which time I hated it with a passion.
Optional Extra: DANGER ZONE - KENNY LOGGINS - OK song, but one of my least favorite of his movie songs.
30: FOR AMERICA - JACKSON BROWNE (31) - Good song, but I prefer many other songs by him, such as “Here Come Those Tears Again” and “That Girl Could Sing”, to mention just a few.
29: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (37) - Good song, but I preferred their next hit “Taken In”.
LDD: THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR - DIONNE & FRIENDS - Good song. Was this EVER a popular LDD song!
28: I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ (36) - No. Just no.
27: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LEVEL 42 (32) - I like this song. It sure got a lot of mileage for a song that only got as high as #7 (it was even weirder on R&R, where it spent one more week on and peaked at #9).
26: SATURDAY LOVE - CHERRELLE WITH ALEXANDER O'NEAL (28) - Pretty good song. Speaking of the R&R chart, this song never even charted there.
25: I DO WHAT I DO (THEME FROM "9 1/2 WEEKS") (30) - JOHN TAYLOR - Another pretty good song. Sure has a catchy chorus.
24: OVERJOYED - STEVIE WONDER (24) - Great song, one of his best. Sort or reminds me of “Send One Your Love”.
23: THESE DREAMS - HEART (13) - Good song. Glad it became their first #1.
22: GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (29) - Great song, though I prefer the version with the synthesized piano (they played the regular piano version this week)
Optional Extra: TUFF ENUFF - FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS - Although I’m not much for 80s southern rock, this one’s pretty good.
21: SO FAR AWAY - DIRE STRAITS (22) - Good song, one of their best.
20: IF YOU LEAVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (26) - Easily my least favorite song by them (due to the gross overplay)
19: SECRET LOVERS (11) - ATLANTIC STARR - Great song. When I first gave the lyrics my undivided attention, it sort of gave me the creeps. Imagine having to sneak around like that!
LDD: ANGEL - MADONNA
18: BAD BOY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (23) - Good song - one of their upbeat songs that I really like (the others being “Betcha Say That” and “Live For Loving You”)
17: I THINK IT'S LOVE - JERMAINE JACKSON (18) - Great song, definitely one of my favorites by Jermaine (others include “Dynamite” and “Do What You Do”)
16: I CAN'T WAIT - STEVIE NICKS - (16) Great song - much better than the song back at #28. I like many of her solo hits.
15: AMERICAN STORM - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (20) - Awesome song! Sounds a lot like the song by him that we heard last week (“Even Now”). Also reminds me a little of “Born To Run” by Bruce Springsteen.
14: TAKE ME HOME - PHIL COLLINS (19) - Good song, like every other release from “No Jacket Required” (although “Sussudio” was quite overplayed). Many thought he was done releasing tracks from “Jacket” when he had that big #1 hit with Marilyn Martin, but he surprised us with one last track.
13: YOUR LOVE - THE OUTFIELD (15) - Good song, but I preferred their next release “All The Love In The World”.
12: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY (14) - JANET JACKSON - meh, not my favorite song by her. I preferred her slower material.
Optional Extra: PRETTY IN PINK - PSYCHEDELIC FURS - Wow, what an odd choice for an optional extra, as it never hit the Top 40 and I don’t think it gets any airplay today. Anyway, this was the first time I ever heard the song and it’s pretty good, like their other two songs that I know.
11: R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (4) - Cool song, a good salute to 60s rock music.10: TENDER LOVE - FORCE M.D.'S (10) - Great song! Frankie J pretty much remade the song a few years back (but the “original” was much better!) I like the part at the end, where the high piano sounds like a music box.
9: WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE - VAN HALEN (12) - Good song, the one that ushered in the Van Hagar era. I like this, as well as their next two hits from the 90210 album.
8: HARLEM SHUFFLE - THE ROLLING STONES (9) - Meh, this song was OK, but far from being their best. I believe it just missed making AT40's Top 100 of 1986.
7: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX (7) - Cool song. Too bad it was their only Top 40 hit (and was it me, or did they edit it down kinda weird near the end?)
6: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS (5) - Cool song - much better than what turned out to be their biggest hit.
5/LDD: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS (8) - Good song, but I prefer a few other songs by them (including their next hit “Opportunities”)
4: ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO (1) - This song can be good or annoying - depends on which version it is. For instance, this week, they played the one with the timeline, which I don’t like as much as the other version (the one that begins with “Ooh, Rock Me Amadeus”).
3: ADDICTED TO LOVE - ROBERT PALMER (6) - Meh, this song is OK, but one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s and is in a close race with “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood for the most overplayed song of 1986. (I do prefer this one, unsurprisingly).
Optional Extra: YOUR WILDEST DREAMS - THE MOODY BLUES - Great song, definitely one of their best.
2: MANIC MONDAY - THE BANGLES (3) - Good song, one of my favorites by them.
1: KISS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (2) - But this is one of my LEAST favorite songs by Prince. Interesting fact: this is only the second time that a solo songwriter had the top two songs of the week. The last time it happened was back in October, 1983, when two Jim Steinman songs (“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” by Air Supply), were at #1 and #2, respectively.

A note to mmb. "No. Just no" generally for a song that either literally makes you cringe when you hear it or you just plain can't bring yourself to listen to it and turn down the volume. Of course, you can use it as often as you'd like, but just thought I'd mention it, since Bry and I tend to use that phrase very sparingly

[mstgator]

Apr 11, 2009 21:29:35 GMT -5 Hervard said:

9: WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE - VAN HALEN (12) - Good song, the one that ushered in the Van Hagar era. I like this, as well as their next two hits from the 90210 album.

You mean "Saving Forever For You" and "The Right Kind of Love"?

[dlm1129]

Apr 10, 2009 23:40:12 GMT -5 mmb said:

Here's the Bilzrat's take on this week's AMERICAN TOP 40: THE 80's from 04/19/1986:


5/LDD: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS: When I was young, I thought the song was called WESTERN GIRLS, and I thought the drum beat was that of a galloping horse. Enjoyable, what do you guys think does Neil Tennant sound like Al Stewart? (YEAR OF THE CAT, TIME PASSAGES)

Yep I agree. I've always thought he was a dead ringer for Al Stewart.

[mrjukebox]

"Your Wildest Dreams" is a killer tune-I wish The Moody Blues were in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame-They certainly deserve to be there.

[mrjukebox]

Falco had the original version of "Der Komissar" which we heard on last week's countdown.I know I've mentioned this before,but it bears repeating-"Rock Me Amadeus" was parodied as "Rock Me Jerry Lewis"-A couple of DJ's at a Phoenix,AZ station,Mike Elliott & Bud Latour sent a copy of their song to Dr.Demento-The song became a huge hit on his show & wound up being the most requested song for all of 1986-By the way,Jerry Lewis heard the song & gave it his seal of approval.

[reachinforthestars]

Apr 12, 2009 22:31:27 GMT -5 mrjukebox said:

I wish The Moody Blues were in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame-They certainly deserve to be there.

I not only agree with you, but I also take it a step further. I have boycotted any support of the RnR Hall Of Shame because of the crappy way they treated the Moody Blues. I hope you and everyone else who truly understands music will join the growing list of people who are offended by what they have (or should I say haven't) done.