Chart Critique for American Top 40: The 80's June 29, 2012
Countdown for the week ending June 28, 1980
PERSONAL: I had settled in Wichita Falls, Texas in February. It took me 3 months to find the closest AT40 affiliate, which was in Lawton, OK. The first show I heard was for the week of May 10th, and I listened diligently even since. However, my family decided to go on a camping excursion somewhere near the Dallas /Ft. Worth area on this particular weekend, so I never got to hear this episode first run. This is now a treat for me.
DROPPERS:
WE WERE MEANT TO BE LOVERS - (JIM) PHOTOGLO (37) Lost hit that I still remember the chorus to.
RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (36) Austin newcomer that beat the odds.
TWILIGHT ZONE - MANHATTAN TRANSFER (30) Great disco number that stills gets airplay in the Gotham area.
WE LIVE FOR LOVE - PAT BENATAR (27) Song that showcases Long Island rocker's operatic side.
SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK (23) Great song & their only one to make the Soul chart.
LW#3; BIGGEST PART OF ME – AMBROSIA
LW#2: COMING UP – PAUL McCARTNEY
LW#1: FUNKY TOWN – LIPPS, INC.
40: ATOMIC - BLONDIE (40) A not-so-spectacular track from Eat To The Beat. Their other hit on the chart deservedly overshadows this record.
39: ASHES BY NOW – RODNEY CROWELL (DEBUT) Modest hit for Houston native. Ex-Wife Rosanne Cash would chart the following year. Biggest success would be co-authoring "Shame On The Moon."
38: ANGEL SAY NO – TOMMY TUTONE (38) Song sounds similar to their biggest hit, but without the punch.
37: STAND BY ME – MICKEY GILLEY (DEBUT) Countrifed remake of Ben E. King soul classic for the movie
Urban Cowboy. Not as good as the original, but works for the scene it was used in.
36:
TAKE YOUR TIME (DO IT RIGHT) PT. 1 – S.O.S. BAND (DEBUT) Fantastic dance floor classic that surprisingly the Atlanta-based band hated. Their biggest hit, only #1 Soul hit, but far from their only hit.
35: MISUNDERSTANDING - GENESIS (39) This was the first song I ever heard by this British band. I would've never gotten they were progressive rock from this simplistic ditty.
34: LOVE THE WORLD AWAY – KENNY ROGERS (DEBUT) WACK! Superstar's weak ballad from
Urban Cowboy.
33: THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FRANK SINATRA (32) Yes, the Chairman of the Board was still charting in 1980! Broadway show tune that has become one of Gotham City's (and now WCBS-FM's) signature anthems.
32: ANSWERING MACHINE – RUPERT HOLMES (33) Great lost hit by British songwriter and future playwright. Always liked this one, dial tone and all.
AT40 ARCHIVES (#1s of 1960s): WHY – FRANKIE AVALON (Jan 1960) First #1 of the 1960s is the second charttopper for Philadelphia teen idol. At that time it was the shortest title to hit #1 since "Cry" by Johnnie Ray. AT40 EXTRA:
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (MEDLEY) - MECO...Theme from
Star Wars sequel that sounds like a galactic reworking of
Shaft score.
31: ALL NIGHT LONG – JOE WALSH (34) Barroom ditty by Eagle member from
Urban Cowboy.
30: TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME – RAY PARKER & RAYDIO (31) Light soul track with a Detroit sound to it.
29: GIMME SOME LOVIN’ – THE BLUES BROTHERS (35) That ain't no Hank Williams song...it's a remake of a Spencer Davis Group for
The Blues Brothers Movie. Not as good as the original, but again I don't think it was supposed to be.
28: LOST IN LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (26) Song that introduced the US to this Australian outfit. Not too bad, but a little sappy.
27: WONDERING WHERE THE LIONS ARE – BRUCE COCKBURN (25) Great concept song from Canadian balladeer. Always loved the slide groove on it. Truth is many animal enthusiasts are wondering where ALL the big cats are.
26: HURT SO BAD – LINDA RONSTADT (19) Faithful remake of Little Anthony & the Imperials. Sounds a pinch stronger on her.
LDD: IT KEEPS YOU RUNNIN’ – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS...Great dedication about long distance runners. (and
Chariots of Fire was a year & a half away)
25: IN AMERICA – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (DEBUT) As much as it a great groove, this is a thinly diguised patriotic song that I never want to hear live...as I expect to see lots of white bedsheets nearby.
24:
STOMP! – THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (18) Last major hit for funk duo discovered by Quincy Jones. Great dance floor jam to pound your feet to.
23: MORE LOVE – KIM CARNES (29) As great as the Miracles' version was, I felt Kim did a slightly better job on this song, especially changing the key the third time at the end.
22: BRASS IN POCKET – THE PRETENDERS (17) First and only Top 40 hit by original line-up of this international rock band. Great song.
AT40 ARCHIVES ( #1's of 1960s): EL PASO – MARTY ROBBINS (Jan. 1960)...Song that sounds more like a Western movie script. Oddly, the 1980 Kenny Rogers concept album
Gideon seemed to follow a variation of this script.
(Footnote: From Apr 1957 to Jan 1962, BB Hot 100 chart date fell on the following Sunday from the magazine's Monday issue date it appears in. AT40 was using the Hot 100 chart date while most reference books use the issue date, which is why most site "El Paso" as the 1st #1 of the 1960's.)AT40 EXTRA: TIME FOR ME TO FLY - REO SPEEDWAGON...Their most successful song before their breakthrough, which took 10 years to occur. First heard from a jukebox in a bowling alley so-so record..
21: I’M ALIVE – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (28) Great song from the ill-fated movie,
Xanadu. One of their best.
20: DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER – KENNY ROGERS with KIM CARNES (14) Song written by Kim that put her squarely on the map. Lost hit by today's standards.
19: SHOULD’VE NEVER LET YOU GO – NEIL SEDAKA & DARA SEDAKA (21) Father/daughter pairing that in hindsight I'm surprised was a pop hit at all. Very EL song with ambigious meaning. Last chart appearance for Brill Building singer.
18: TIRED OF TOEIN’ THE LINE – ROCKY BURNETTE (20) Great song that still carries a lot of weight from the "The Son of Rock 'n' Roll."
17: ONE FINE DAY – CAROLE KING (22) Great take on a song she co-wrote for the Chiffons back in 1963.
16: MAGIC – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (24)
Totally Hot set the stage for this number from
Xanadu, and she doesn't miss a beat...except in the movie.
15: CALL ME - BLONDIE (12) Great rock-disco song from
American Gigolo. Glad it was declared the year's top song.
AT40 EXTRA: ON BROADWAY - GEORGE BENSON...Song is an prime example of how the recently departed Jerry Leiber became a prominent songwriter of many R&B classics. Benson's take is more on point than the Drifters' original, though.
14: CARS – GARY NUMAN (9) Great electronic song with real tams! I often wonder if Rick Evans had this in mind when he wrote his 1969 classic.
13: SHINING STAR – THE MANHATTANS (16) Not a remake of the Earth, Wind & Fire chestnut, but an equally stunning record by this "veteran" Jersey City vocal group. Great acoustic soul ballad.
12: LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT – PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (15) Their biggest hit (& first with future star Vince Gill) for country rock band (on a "disco label" to boot!)
AT40 ARCHIVES (#1's of 1960s): RUNNING BEAR – JOHNNY PRESTON (Jan 1960)...Story song similar to Pocohantas featuring Indian chants by its writer, J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper...the 2nd artist from the ill-fated plane crash to be connected to a charttopping song.) AT40 EXTRA:
INTO THE NIGHT - BENNY MARDONES...Liked this song in 1980, bought the reissue in 1989.
11:
LET’S GET SERIOUS – JERMAINE JACKSON (13) Stevie Wonder production that just finished a six week run atop the Soul Chart. His biggest solo effort and his best, all while still at Motown.
10:
SHE’S OUT OF MY LIFE – MICHAEL JACKSON (10) Record tying teary-eyed ballad that today is considered a lost hit. Song faltered on Soul Chart (likely due to supporting an album track at this time.)
9: CUPID / I’VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME – THE SPINNERS (11) Discofied medley by Motor City vocal group that incorporates what I think is the best version on Sam Cooke hit.
8:
BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA (3) Unlike their first top 10 hit, this song has a jazz fusion sound similar the 'new' Doobie Brothers. (This also applies to the next song.) May explain its appearance on the Soul Chart.
7: STEAL AWAY – ROBBIE DUPREE (8) As good as this is, I've liked his follow-up record more over the years.
LDD: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND – ANDREW GOLD...Great dedication. This oft requested songs may explained it was used for the Golden Girls.
6: LITTLE JEANNIE – ELTON JOHN (7) Despite being one of his biggest hits, this song hasn't done much for me. You can tell his magic with Bernie Taupin is not there.
5: AGAINST THE WIND – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (5) This one has grown on me over the years. Great road trip song.
4: IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME – BILLY JOEL (6) There WAS a time I loved this song...not so much today. Upon listening the lyrics more closely, it's essentially "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll" Pt. 2.
3: THE ROSE – BETTE MIDLER (4) I wasn't really crazy about this one, but sounds like a great karaoke song. Still haven't seen the movie,
The Rose, in full.
AT40 EXTRA: DRIVING MY LIFE AWAY - EDDIE RABBITT...One of the reasons why he is my favorite country singer of all time.
2:
FUNKY TOWN – LIPPS, INC. (1) I always heard this track as funk. Still a great fun disco song. Good to see
Disco Demolition Night did not completely kill the music. ;D
1: COMING UP (Live in Glasgow)– PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (2) Great song that is still causes debate as to whether or not the Cute Beatle has ever had a solo #1. I actually like both sides of this disc.
SYNOPSIS: This was a period where many top 40 artists were trying out their acting skills. So for those who couldn't afford to see their favorites in concert could so at the box office. Also, John Travolta was still hot commodity in this year and chiefly responsible for the
Urban Cowboy juggernaut.